The disease & its socio-economic impact:

Influenza is an acute respiratory illness caused by infection with influenza virus. Outbreaks of the infection are very common throughout the world and result in significant morbidity in the general population and in increased mortality in high risk patients. Influenza and its complications is one of the ten leading causes of death in the US, and has an even higher mortality rate in many developing nations around the world. Influenza ranks among the most deadly outbreaks of infectious disease in recorded world history with the Spanish flu of 1918 being cited as the most devastating epidemic of the 20th century and believed to have killed at least 50 million people. The direct and indirect social and economic impacts of influenza are enormous. On average, up to 20% of the population in the United States becomes infected with an influenza virus annually, resulting in approximately 300,000 hospitalizations and 36,000 deaths from influenza-associated illnesses. The cost of influenza epidemics to the U.S. economy is estimated at $3-15 billion. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) influenza causes 70 million lost workdays and 38 million lost school days per year. Given the huge direct and indirect socio-economic impact of influenza, finding new ways to combat this potentially life-threatening disease is a clinical priority. Vaccination is an established means of disease prevention, while antiviral agents are primarily indicated for treatment.