ARE YOU AWARE OF THE VIRUSES AROUND US?

   

INFLUENZA

   The word "influenza" comes from the Italian language meaning "Influence" and refers to the cause of the disease; initially, this ascribed illness to unfavorable disease astrological influences. It was introduced into the English language in the mid-eighteenth century during a pan-European epidemic.

   Influenza, commonly known as the "flu" is an extremely contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza A or B viruses. Flu appears most frequently in winter and early spring. The flu virus attacks the body by spreading through the upper and / or lower respiratory tract.

   Flu is a respiratory infection caused by a number of viruses. The viruses pass through the air and enter your body through your nose and mouth. Between 5% and 20% of people in the U.S. get the flu each year. The flu can be serious or even deadly for elderly people, newborn babies and people with certain chronic illnesses.

   Symptoms of the flu come on suddenly and are worsen those of the common cold. They may include: body or muscle aches, chills,, cough, fever, headache and sore throat. Th typical incubation period of influenza is 1-4 days, (average: 2 days). Most healthy adults may be able to infect others beginning to incubate the illness, 1 day before symptoms develop; and up yo 7 days after becoming sick. Most people whop get flu recover completely in 1-2 weeks, but some people develop live-thertnung medical complications, such as pneumonia.

   Because each flu season is different in length and severity, the number of serious illnesses and deaths which occur each year varies. In the past 30 years, the annual death rate from flu-related causes has ranged from 3,000 40 49,000 deaths per year.

   The most severe ever known flu pandemic was the "1918 flu pandemic (Spanish flu)", which killed up to
 100 million people. The case of fatality rate was of the 2%.