Influenza

July 20, 2014

Introduction Influenza also known as “Flu” is a contagious disease that affects mammals and birds. It is a viral disease that is caused by influenza viruses of the family orthomyxoviridae, which affects the lungs, throat, nose and other parts of the respiratory system. Most people tend to confuse influenza with common cold, stomach flu and other flu like illnesses, but influenza is a viral and deadly disease that is characterized with muscle pains, headache, runny nose, sore throat, high fever, colds, fatigue, nasal congestion, dry cough, vomiting and nausea. Different people may exhibit symptoms and signs of influenza differently, but most children tend to vomit and experience nausea when infected with the virus. Although influenza affects people of all ages, young children, pregnant women, people with chronic illnesses and low body immunity and the aged are at a high risk of developing influenza and suffering from its complications. In most cases, children and old people affected with influenza tend to develop and suffer from other risk complications such as ear infections, pneumonia, bronchitis, sinus infections, and other respiratory illnesses (Emmanuel, 2009). Pneumonia is a common complication that develops when the disease is not identified and treated on time thus leading to viral or bacterial pneumonia. Like other infectious diseases, influenza is a viral disease that is transmitted from one person to another through air. In essence, it is an airborne disease that is transmitted when a healthy person inhales flu viruses from an infected person through coughs or sneezes. The disease can be transmitted when a healthy person gets in contact with contaminated surfaces or directly comes in contact with bird droppings or secretions from infected persons. In other words, one can directly inhale droplets containing the flu