INFLUENZA-VIRUS AND NEUROLOGICAL DISEASES

Influenza viruses rarely cause acute encephalopathy. Post-influenzal e ncephalitis, which occurs a few weeks after recovery from influenza is thought to be an autoimmune process associated with demyelination and vasculopathy. It has been suggested that Economo lethargic encephalit is followed by postenecephalitic Parkinsonism was associated with the influenza A epidemic of 1918 (Spanish flu). The incidence of Reye's sy ndrome has markedly decreased due to the avoidance of salicylates in t he treatment of influenza or varicella. One inactivated nu vaccine is thought to have caused Guillain Barre syndrome due to molecular mimicr y between viral protein and myelin, which triggered autoimmune respons es. The persistence of influenza virus genes in neural cells as one of the causes of chronic degenerative diseases of the central nervous sy stem by inducing apoptosis of the host cells is yet to be proven.