Zinc intake and resistance to H1N1 (Bird-Flu) influenza

Zinc deficiency is relevant to H1N1 influenza because it decreases cell-mediated immunity.4 At the practical level, zinc treatment has been found to be efficacious for a variety of infections.

Pertinent to bacterial pneumonia–complicating influenza, a 1-year study of 420 nursing home patients who daily were administered 50% of the United States Department of Agriculture Recommended Daily Allowance for vitamins and minerals found that participants with plasma concentrations of zinc greater than 70 μg/dL had a significantly lower risk of pneumonia requiring antibiotics than did participants with plasma zinc levels of less than 70 μg/dL.7

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2866616/#bib10