# Questions about the flu virus

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-flu-virus/332235>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 22, 2005, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-flu-virus/332235 "2005-11-22T13:48:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\
**Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-flu-virus/332235/1 "2005-11-22T13:48:35Z")

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How many genes does the flu virus have, what do they encode for and how many base pairs does it have? I have heard 9 genes but that may’ve been the HIV virus.

Does the flu virus have proofreading enzymes and abilities for when it is forming new flu viruses, or does it not have them and as a result have a high mutation rate?

The flu virus is classified by the neuraminidase and haemagglutinin proteins on its surface (hence terms like H5N1, H1N1, etc) and there are 9 and 16 of these variances, however not all of them can affect man. There are 144 possibilities out of the 9 & 16 surface proteins, but only some can affect man. Why don’t they just take the tens of possible influenza viruses that can infect man and make a generalized vaccine that will prevent all forms of the flu? Does each strain have minor differences from the next beyond the general differences in the N & H proteins?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\
**Post date:** [November 25, 2005, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-flu-virus/332235/2 "2005-11-25T02:06:23Z")

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> **[Comparison of complete amino acid sequences and receptor-binding properties...](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2024485/?dopt=Abstract)**
>
> We determined the sequences of 7 serotypes (H4, H6, H8, H9, H11, H12, and H13) of hemagglutinin (HA) genes, which have not been reported so far. The coding regions consisted of 1692 nucleotides in H4, 1698 in H6, 1695 in H8, 1680 in H9, 1695 in H11,...

[Avian Diseases](http://avdi.allenpress.com/avdionline/?request=get-abstract&doi=10.1043/0005-2086(2003)047)\<1118:SOHGOA\>[2.0.CO](http://2.0.CO);2

[http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/I/Influenza.html](http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/I/Influenza.html)

Apparently the virus has 8 genes and the HA protein is roughly 560 amino acids. I have read that the H5 protein is about 8-10 amino acids off from being able to be transmissible between humans.