Swine flu is a variant of Influenza A virus (IAV) of the family Alphainfluenzavirus. This virus is a negative-sense, single-stranded, segmented RNA virus. While swine flu is endemic in pigs, variants may able to infect humans, resulting in symptomology similar to that of the seasonal flu such as fever, chills, muscle aches, sore throat, coughing, and headaches. Swine flus are classified by their antigenic proteins, hemagglutinin and neuraminidase, which can vary in identity from 1-18 and 1-11, respectively. Zoonosis of the disease is relatively uncommon, but those with frequent exposure to pigs are at greater risk. Human to human transmission is also unlikely, but notable breakouts have been recorded, including the 1918 flu pandemic, the 2009 swine flu pandemic, and several smaller, lesser-known outbreaks in India and the Middle East. During the 2009 H1N1 outbreak, vaccinations were available in the United States for those at greatest risk of complications.
IAV RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase
The RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) of Influenza A Viruses is critical to the replication and transcription of viral genes. This enzyme is also of clinical significance because it is critical in the zoonosis of Influenza A viruses like swine flu. Because of its critical roles in viral replication and zoonosis, RdRp is the focus of much antiviral research. However, due to limited structural research into the Influenza A RdRP, structural-based drug design to inhibit RdRp activity is also limited. Influenza A RdRp is also an especially difficult site for drug development because it is unique relative to other viral RdRps. Unlike other viral RdRps, IAV RdRp enters the nucleus to transcribe and replicate viral genetic information as opposed to in the cytoplasm.
