Influenza A is an RNA virus, meaning that it reproduces itself inside the nucleus. Most viruses replicate in a cell’s cytoplasm, outside the nucleus. The flu pathogen needs extra RNA to start the replication process so it steals these molecules from the hijacked exosome, Dr. Marazzi says.Click to see full answer. Thereof, how fast does flu virus replicate? Replication and infectivity The replication cycle of influenza viruses, from the time of entry to the production of new virus, is very quick, with shedding of the first influenza viruses from infected cells occurring after only 6 hours.Subsequently, question is, what is the size of a flu virus? The virus particle (also called the virion) is 80–120 nanometers in diameter such that the smallest virions adopt an elliptical shape. The length of each particle varies considerably, owing to the fact that influenza is pleomorphic, and can be in excess of many tens of micrometers, producing filamentous virions. Thereof, where does influenza A replicate? Influenza viruses replicate within the nucleus of the host cell.What is a flu virus life cycle?The influenza virus life cycle can be divided into the following stages: entry into the host cell; entry of vRNPs into the nucleus; transcription and replication of the viral genome; export of the vRNPs from the nucleus; and assembly and budding at the host cell plasma membrane.