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Where Does the Influenza Virus Go in Summer?

The seasonal flu virus has a coating that is able to stay hard in the winter, forming a protective "shell" around the virus until it enters a host. In the summer, this coat melts away, making the virus less hardy and more likely to die off.

  1. Significance

    • The coating is made up of hemagglutinin, which is a type of fatty protein. Hemagglutinin hardens when the weather is cold.

    Function

    • The hemagglutinin also assists the virus in attacking the cells of the host by helping it bind to the cells before melting away.

    Time Frame

    • In the summer, this hemagglutinin cannot stay hard enough to protect the virus. Without its protecting coating, the virus dies off easily.

    Effects

    • The hemagglutinin coating also makes it more difficult to wash the virus off your hands and protects the virus from soaps.

    Expert Insight

    • Researchers at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), in Bethesda, Maryland used MRI-type technology to study the flu virus and discover the protective coating.

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