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. 2020 Oct 9;15(1):17.
doi: 10.1186/s13062-020-00272-5.

Influenza virus-flow from insects to humans as causative for influenza seasonality

Albrecht Pfäfflin  1
Affiliations

Influenza virus-flow from insects to humans as causative for influenza seasonality

Albrecht Pfäfflin. Biol Direct. .

Abstract

Virus biomass outweighs human biomass, and insects biomass outweighs human biomass. Insects are regularly habited by viruses as well as humans, humans are further inhabited via insects. A model of viral flow is described and specified to explain influenza virus seasonality, which, in temperate climate, usually evolves when insects have mostly disappeared. With this hypothesis a coherent description of regular seasonal influenza and other seasonal respiratory virus infections in temperate climates is possible. The incidence of influenza under different circumstances e.g. temperature, humidity, or tropical conditions and different aspects like synchronicity of infections or in respect to evolutionary conditions do sustain this hypothesis if the behaviour of insects is considered.

Keywords: Compartmentalization; Evolution; Influenza; Insects; Seasonality; Virus.

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Conflict of interest statement

None.

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