Influenza A is an acute infectious respiratory disease caused by influenza A virus, with typical signs and symptoms of upper and / or lower respiratory tract involvement, and symptoms of systemic disease such as fever, headache, myalgia and fatigue. Although it is a self-limited disease in the general population, it is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in some high-risk populations and often leads serious complications, such as severe acute lung injury, acute respiratory distress syndrome, as well as other extrapulmonary injuries. The exploration of the mechanisms of lung injury caused by influenza A infection could be helpful to understand the pathogenic mechanisms of other viral pneumonias, such as coronavirus disease 2019.