Influenza – Evolutions, Signs and Symptoms
Flu also known as ‘Influenza’ is a highly contagious viral infection. The word Influenza derived from the Italian language and refers to the cause of the disease. Influenza is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the influenza viruses, which affects birds and mammals. The name influenza comes from the Italian influenza, meaning “influence”. The most common symptoms of the disease are chills, fever, sore throat, muscle pains, severe headache, coughing, weakness and general discomfort. Fever and coughs are the most frequent symptoms. In more serious cases, influenza causes pneumonia, which can be fatal, particularly for the young and the elderly. Although it is often confused with other influenza-like illnesses, especially the common cold, influenza is a much more severe disease than the common cold and is caused by a different type of virus. The influenza even has its own season — from November to April, with most cases occurring between late December and early March.
Typically, influenza is transmitted through the air by coughs or sneezes, creating aerosols containing the virus. Influenza can also be transmitted by bird droppings, saliva, nasal secretions, feces and blood. Infection can also occur through contact with these body fluids or through contact with contaminated surfaces. Airborne aerosols have been thought to cause most infections, although which means of transmission is most important is not absolutely clear. Influenza viruses can be inactivated by sunlight, disinfectants and detergents. As the virus can be inactivated by soap, frequent hand washing reduces the risk of infection.
Influenza spreads around the world in seasonal epidemics, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of thousands annually — millions in pandemic years. Three influenza pandemics occurred in the 20th century and killed tens of millions of people, with each of these pandemics being caused by the appearance of a new strain of the virus in humans. Often, these new strains appear when an existing flu virus spreads to humans from other animal species, or when an existing human strain picks up new genes from a virus that usually infects birds or pigs.
Types of Flu Virus
In virus classification Flu viruses are RNA viruses of below given types -
* Influenzavirus A
Wild aquatic birds are the natural hosts for a large variety of influenza A. Occasionally, viruses are transmitted to other species and may then cause devastating outbreaks in domestic poultry or give rise to human influenza pandemics. The type A viruses are the most virulent human pathogens among the three influenza types and cause the most severe disease.
* Influenzavirus B
Influenza B almost exclusively infects humans and is less common than influenza A. The only other animals known to be susceptible to influenza B infection are the seal and the ferret.
* Influenzavirus C
This virus infects humans, dogs and pigs, sometimes causing both severe illness and local epidemics. However, influenza C is less common than the other types and usually only causes mild disease in children
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Influeza Signs and symptoms
Symptoms of influenza can start quite suddenly one to two days after infection. Usually the first symptoms are chills or a chilly sensation, but fever is also common early in the infection, with body temperatures ranging from 38-39 °C. Many people are so ill that they are confined to bed for several days, with aches and pains throughout their bodies, which are worse in their backs and legs. Other symptoms of influenza may include -
* Body aches, especially joints and throat
* Extreme coldness and fever
* Fatigue
* Headache
* Irritated watering eyes
* Reddened eyes, skin (especially face), mouth, throat and nose
* In children, gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea and abdominal pain
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Preventation from Influenza
Good personal health and hygiene habits, like hand washing, avoiding spitting, and covering the nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing, are reasonably effective in reducing influenza transmission. In some cases like when caring for the sick face masks might help prevent transmission.
Treatment of Influenza
People with the flu are advised to get plenty of rest, drink plenty of liquids, avoid using alcohol and tobacco and, if necessary, take medications such as acetaminophen (paracetamol) to relieve the fever and muscle aches associated with the flu. Children and teenagers with flu symptoms (particularly fever) should avoid taking aspirin during an influenza infection.
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