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Center for Nonlinear Studies |
The influenza virus is the cause of widespread mortality each year which is only exacerbated by pandemics. In addition, there is excess mortality from secondary bacterial infections such as Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae and Staphylococcus aureus. Some experiments suggest a lethal synergy between influenza and S. pneumoniae via viral neuraminidase, a surface protein used for cleavage of sialic acid from host cells. This type of interaction has important implications for use of antivirals such as Tamiflu, a neuraminidase inhibitor, even as a delayed treatment. However, the kinetics of these pathogens in the human respiratory tract and the mechanisms involved in their interaction are not well understood and only partially amenable to empirical investigation. To begin to understand the processes involved, we have developed a simple mathematical model of an influenza infection followed by a bacterial infection at day 7, the day when the synergistic interaction is maximal.