| Flu
refers to illnesses caused by a number
of different influenza viruses. Flu can
cause a range of symptoms and effects,
from mild to lethal.
Two
strains of flu, seasonal flu and the
H1N1 (Swine) flu, are currently
circulating in the United States. A
third, highly lethal H5N1 (Bird) flu is
being closely tracked overseas.
Most
healthy people recover from the flu
without problems, but certain people are
at high risk for serious complications.
Extensive
efforts are underway to track and
monitor the spread of all flu viruses.
In the U.S., epidemiologists at the
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) are
working with states to collect, compile
and analyze reports of flu outbreaks.
More on the
current situation from the CDC.
Flu
symptoms may include fever,
coughing, sore throat, runny or stuffy
nose, headaches, body aches, chills and
fatigue. In H1N1 (Swine) flu infection,
vomiting and diarrhea may also occur.
Annual
outbreaks of the seasonal flu usually
occur during the late fall through early
spring. Most people have natural
immunity, and a seasonal flu vaccine is
available. In a typical year,
approximately 5 to 20 percent of the
population gets the seasonal flu and
approximately 36,000 flu-related deaths
are reported.
This
year, the H1N1 (Swine) flu virus may
cause a more dangerous flu season with a
lot more people getting sick, being
hospitalized and dying than during a
regular flu season. H1N1 (Swine Flu) is
a new virus first seen in the United
States. It is contagious and spreads
from person to person. Like seasonal
flu, illness in people with H1N1 can
vary from mild to severe.
A flu
pandemic occurs when a new influenza A
virus emerges for which there is little
or no immunity in the human population;
the virus causes serious illness and
spreads easily from person-to-person
worldwide. On June 11, 2009, the World
Health Organization (WHO) declared
that a global pandemic of H1N1 (Swine)
flu is underway.
H5N1
(Bird) flu is an influenza A virus
subtype that is highly contagious among
birds. Rare human infections with the
H5N1 (Bird) flu virus have occurred. The
majority of confirmed cases have
occurred in Asia, Africa, the Pacific,
Europe and the Near East. Currently, the
United States has no confirmed human
H5N1 (Bird) flu infections, but H5N1
(Bird) flu remains a serious concern
with the potential to cause a deadly
pandemic. |
