Influenza and pneumonia together account for more than 36,000 deaths and 114,000 hospitalizations annually in the United States. Despite the availability of an excellent healthcare system and effective antimicrobials directed against both influenza and bacterial causes of pneumonia, a substantial number of these deaths are due to secondary bacterial pneumonia. The molecular mechanisms that underlie the interaction between respiratory viruses and bacteria are largely unknown. Since secondary bacterial infections account for a significant proportion of the deaths that occur during circulation of virulent strains, it is critical that we understand the basis of this synergy before the next highly pathogenic influenza virus enters the population from avian sources or as a result of bioterrorism. This application proposes in vitro and in vivo experiments to study this interaction utilizingVoltaire

Writer

Born: 1694

Died: 1778

Birthplace: Paris, France

Best known as: Witty playwright and author of Candide

Name at birth: Francois Marie Arouet

Voltaire was the pen name of Francois Marie Arouet, who first made a name for himself among the refined patrons of the French salons. He applied his wit and knowledge to writing poetry and political treatises, often incurring the wrath of the French government and the church. Perhaps his most famous work is his novel Candide (1759), with its common sense conclusion that we must "cultivate our garden."Voltaire influenced political theorists, philosophers, educators and historians, and is one of the most celebrated citizens in the history of France.