The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention consider the "Fujian flu" a type of influenza A virus. Specifically, the Fujian flu is a strain of the H3N2 strain of influenza A; the H and the N refer to two proteins on the surface of the virus, hemagluttinin and neuraminidase, respectively. Symptoms of the Fujian flu often start as general symptoms felt throughout the body and progress to respiratory-related symptoms.
Fever
A high fever, often greater than 102 degrees F, is a hallmark symptom of influenza A, including the strain known as Fujian flu. The National Insitutes of Health website, Medline Plus, reports that in adults, the fever tends to be lower than in children. Both adults and children who have been infected will notice a sudden onset of a high fever. The fever may subside for a day or two or may last up to five days. In some cases, the fever may recur later in the illness.
Body Aches
A sense that the entire body is sore and aching is another symptom that may appear early in the course of the influenza illness. Like the other constitutional--or "whole body"--symptoms of influenza A, this symptom may begin within the first couple days of being infected and then start to improve. Unfortunately, when these constitutional symptoms begin to diminish, respiratory-related symptoms may worsen.
Dry Cough
Influenza is actually a respiratory illness. Medline Plus explains that it is spread through tiny droplets in the air and may infect a person when someone who has influenza A sneezes or coughs, releasing the virus into the air. When the uninfected person breathes in this contaminated air, she is at risk of catching the virus as well. After the full-body symptoms have receded, the respiratory symptoms tend to increase; the most common of these symptoms is a dry, cough that is "hacking" in quality. Unlike most of the symptoms caused by the Fujian flu--or other strains of influenza A--the cough does not disappear within a few days; usually it lingers for several weeks.
Fatigue
Extreme tiredness is a symptom that may begin early in the course of the influenza infection--within the first few days of being infected. Patients who feel fatigued while also experiencing the muscle aches and fever that often accompany early infection may attribute the tiredness to these other symptoms. As the constitutional symptoms such as fever improve, patients may continue to suffer from fatigue. Like the cough that is one of the hallmark features of influenza A, including Fujian flu, the symptom of abnormal tiredness may last weeks after other symptoms have improved or disappeared completely. This may be a frustrating situation, but patients should be aware that this is a normal consequence of the influenza A virus and eventually, this symptom, like the others, will diminish and disappear.
