Difference Between Parainfluenza Virus and Influenza Virus
The "mysterious virus" infection in children was determined to be a hospital infection caused by a sub-influenza virus.
What kind of virus is a parainfluenza virus? Is it the same as the flu virus?
Para Influenza virus belongs to the paramyxoviridae family and is considered to be the causative agent of colds caused by viruses such as rhinoviruses, coronaviruses, and adenoviruses. However, influenza viruses belong to the Orthomyxoviridae family, the causative agents of influenza, and vice influenza viruses are not a "family" at all.
The brothers and sisters of the sub-influenza virus family include the respiratory syncytial virus, Newcastle disease virus, mumps virus, measles virus, Hendra virus, and the newly discovered human metapneumovirus in recent years. Paraviral influenza virus and respiratory fusion cell virus mainly infect the human respiratory system, causing colds, bronchitis, and pneumonia. Newcastle virus mainly spreads in chickens, causing Newcastle disease. The measles and mumps viruses are the ones we are most familiar with, causing measles mumps, respectively.
There are four serotypes of parainfluenza virus:
Type I can cause severe laryngitis (pseudomembranous laryngitis), tracheitis, or bronchitis; the clinical manifestations of diseases caused by Type II and Type I are similar, but not severe. Severe cases of infection occur only when children aged 2-4 are infected. Type Ⅲ is the pathogen of bronchitis and pneumonia in children, second only to a respiratory syncytial virus, which often causes bronchioles and pneumonia in infants and young children, and can also cause pseudomembranous laryngitis. Type ⅳ causes mild symptoms, mainly upper respiratory tract infections in adults and children, and usually does not cause pneumonia. The secondary influenza virus infection of children hospitalized in Hong Kong Caritas Medical Center belongs to type ⅳ. Since this type of accessory influenza virus is difficult to identify in cell culture, many efforts have been made by the University of Hong Kong in the past two days to identify this pathogen in infected children.
The treatment of parainfluenza virus infection is the same as that of other respiratory viral infections, mainly relying on symptomatic treatment and not requiring the use of antibiotics. It usually recovers rapidly within 3-5 days.
Secondary influenza virus infection mainly occurs in winter and spring and is mainly transmitted by airborne droplets through the respiratory tract. Its prevention method is the same as other respiratory diseases: frequent indoor ventilation; going to public places as little as possible; paying attention to weather changes, and changing clothes in time. Strengthen physical exercise, drink plenty of water, eat more vegetables and fruits, and increase airway resistance.