Teachable moment in classrooms:
- respiratory system chapter – gros anatomy of the respiratory system
- lymphatic and immune system chapter – cell-mediated portion of the immune response
- lymphatic and immune system chapter – antibody-mediated portion of the immune response
- lymphatic and immune system chapter – role of T-helper cells in the immune response
The news item: Recently, the following news item appeared online:
What to know about the virus with no vaccine, treatment hitting certain states
Currently there is no vaccine to prevent this virus and no specific antiviral therapy to treat HMPV, according to the CDC.
The article states that the new HMPV (human metapneumo virus) is showing up in record numbers in California and in New Jersey. The article also states the symptoms, the treatment options, and mentions bronchitis, pneumonia as most dangerous consequences.
Why Do I Care?? Respiratory viruses can cause serious illness and death when our bodies cannot resist them. Periodically, reports of new respiratory viruses appear on social media, and the tone of these articles can be quite alarmist. The HMPV is a good example of how we can determine if this new virus represents a lot or a little danger for the general population. Reading deeper into a social media post, or an online article helps a great deal. Bottom line: don’t just read the headline!!
Plain English, Please!!! First, let’s talk about the properties of the HMPV virus. With every breath we take our respiratory system is exposed to viruses swept along the volume of inhaled air. While we have many layers of defenses against the viruses in the walls of the nasal cavity, pharynx, trachea, bronchi, a few viruses manage to pass through those layers, and penetrate into tissues and into blood, and enter (infect) our cells. For most people the HMPV infection causes only a few days of light cough, nasal congestion, because the natural defenses of the immune system can eliminate the HMPV virus. There are hundreds of viruses similar to HMPV, and in most people the infection even by totally new viruses is stopped by the immune system.
Second, let’s talk about our natural immune defenses against HMPV. When HMPV infects our cells, two kinds of immune response develop in about 10-14 days. First, the cell-mediated portion reacts to the presence of the invader, and in lymph nodes and other organs millions of fighters, the