Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a fatal complication of influenza A virus infection. One of the main causes of ARDS is alveolar epithelial and endothelial barrier injury. The review discusses the role of pulmonary epithelial cells， endothelial cells， neutrophils， and macrophages in the pathogenesis of influenza A virus-induced alveolar epithelial and endothelial barrier injury， and provides a theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of influenza A virus-induced ARDS.