British scientists have shown that at certain times of the day people are more likely to get viral infections. One study found that biorhythms seem to affect susceptibility to viruses. New research results explain why some people get colds more often and others less often.
Do some people have an increased susceptibility to disease?
Although everyone is capable of contracting countless pathogens, some are often ill and severely ill, while others are almost never ill. Some people are more susceptible to infections due to a weakened immune system, severe stress, or an unhealthy diet.
The severity of an infectious disease varies greatly between people. As British researchers found, infection time is a risk factor that determines the course of a viral disease.
A team of specialists found that the time of day predicts the intensity of symptoms and the prognosis of the disease. Herpes viruses in mice multiply much faster if infection occurred at the beginning of the day.
As scientists at the University of Cambridge write, a scientific discovery may partially explain why the time of day affects the effect of the vaccine. It also explains why shift workers are susceptible to illness or why infectious diseases are more likely to occur in winter.
"Infection at the wrong time of the day can cause a much more serious acute infection," the authors of the study note.
The results of the scientific work were published in the works of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA (PNAS).
Morning is the most dangerous time to get viruses.
According to modern scientific data, viruses, unlike bacteria and parasites, are directly dependent on human cells. If the cells undergo certain changes during the day, the ability of pathogens to penetrate into them changes.
British researchers infected mice with the influenza virus and herpes. It turned out that in animals that came into contact with viruses in the morning, the pathogen level was ten times higher in the blood. If the mice became infected in the evening, there were no symptoms.
In a recent cohort study, scientists tried to figure out if 1 person could infect an entire factory in the evening. The virus’s attempt to take over the enterprise after all the workers returned home in the evening failed. Time of day has been instrumental in preventing the spread of influenza.
Why are some diseases more likely to occur in winter?
About 10% of genes change their activity depending on the "internal clock" throughout the day. According to BVKJ, scientists have focused on the gene that defines this internal clock - Bmal1.
The above gene is most active during the day in mice and humans. In the morning, when living organisms are particularly susceptible to infection, activity is the least. Even in the winter months, the gene is less active - this explains why people are more susceptible to infections at this time of the year.
Scientists at Cambridge University reported in the journal Nature Communications last year that the immune system has changed over the years. According to experts, their discovery provides a possible explanation of the fact why some diseases more often or worse appear in winter.
Morning flu vaccine is more effective
According to the authors of the study, the results of scientific work explain why shift workers are prone to chronic diseases and viral infections. In addition, the effectiveness of vaccines may depend on the time of day.
Scientists from the University of Birmingham, UK, reported that flu shots in the morning increased antibody production within a month.
Further research is aimed at identifying potentially effective vaccines that can be given in the morning.
What is the danger of morning flu infection?
Patients older than 64 years who have contracted influenza in the morning are more likely to suffer from heart and lung disease, diabetes mellitus and weakened immunity. The study observed a tripling of the risk of complications compared with those who became infected in the afternoon or evening.
Pneumonia is the most serious flu complication that leads to respiratory failure. The risk of death is very high if therapy is not started in a timely manner.
