Five to 20 percent of the U.S. population is infected with influenza each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to World Health Organization epidemiological records there has been an average of three flu...
The H1N1 virus is often called the "swine flu" because some of the genes are similar to the strain that occurs in U.S. pigs. In truth, the H1N1 virus is very different from the virus that normally circulates in U.S. pigs because the virus also has...
Influenza (the flu) is a respiratory infection afflicting between 5 and 20 percent of people in the United States each year, according to MedlinePlus. For some, the flu can be dangerous, leading to hospitalization and even death. The flu is often...
Some diseases occur naturally in the body, such as arthritis and cancer. Others occur as the result of an infection caused by some outside organism such as a virus or bacterium. Due to medical advances, many infectious diseases that once were...
The Spanish flu was an H1N1 virus related to the 2009 swine flu, but the 1918 pandemic was caused by a much more lethal form. One-fifth of the world's population became infected and 50 to 100 million people died, more than from any other illness,...
The flu virus is highly contagious and can affect anywhere from 5 to 20 percent of those in the U.S. each year, according Flu.gov. While most healthy people easily recover from the flu, others develop serious complications that, in some cases,...
Anticipate a fever in excess of 100 degrees F in a person who contracts avian influenza. Symptoms differ considerably from one case to the next, with some patients showing only mild signs of infection while others develop life-threatening...
Spanish Influenza is the common name for the flu virus that caused the 1918-1919 pandemic that Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) researchers dub "the mother of all pandemics." The Spanish Influenza pandemic is credited for up to 100...
In the December 2009 issue of "Pediatric Nursing," Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) epidemiologists Anna Bramley, Dr. Joe Bresee and Lyn Finelli report that up to 30 percent of kids contract the flu each year. Of these, say Bramley...
Approximately 36,000 flu-related deaths occur each year in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control. Although most of these deaths are not directly caused by influenza, it is thought that the flu virus...
Catching the flu can be miserable. When more than one member of the family catches the flu at the same time, it seems to last forever. You could still catch the flu even if you get the flu shot, because the shot is not 100 percent effective in...
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 36,000 people die each year from flu-related diseases. The figure is based on an average of influenza deaths reported in the 1990s, which ranged between 17,000 and...
The flu is a viral infection that affects the respiratory system. Called seasonal influenza, the peak time of year for flu is between November and March. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that every year anywhere from 5 to...
Flu is short for influenza, a family of viruses that cause respiratory illness. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, explains that the flu can cause mild to severe illness and even lead to death. Diagnosing the flu helps...
AIDS is an auto-immune disorder that weakens the immune system to the point that it can't fight off disease. Its a chronic and sometimes life-threatening disease that gradually gets worse until the body has little or no resistance left. AIDS...
Influenza, or flu, is a contagious respiratory ailment caused by flu viruses. In extreme cases, influenza can cause death. In most cases, however, the flu causes mild to severe illness. Young children and the elderly are most susceptible to...
With all the heavy media coverage and talk about the H1N1 or swine flu, it is no wonder that children are anxious and have concerns about how it affects them. As a teacher, parent or caregiver, it is important to help children cope and understand...
Influenza (flu) comes from a virus and causes a miserable set of symptoms characterized by the rapid onset of a stuffy nose, aches, fever, chills and coughing. Flu differs from a common cold mainly because it comes on faster, lasts longer and...
Although taking steps to prevent the top conditions that threaten men's health is not difficult, many men aren't aware of how they can stay in the best shape possible, especially as they age. In most cases, tips to stay healthy are the same for...
The flu, or influenza, can have devastating effects on children. Most of the deaths attributed to the H1N1 virus were in children and in adults with chronic health problems. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), around 20,000...
Colds and the flu are both common respiratory viruses that are often mistaken for one another. Both are viral illnesses, although the viruses are different for each disease. Neither can be cured, but their symptoms can be treated and practicing...
Influenza, also known simply as the flu, is a year round virus that can cause serious illness and even death. Everyone is susceptible to the flu--even if you obtained an annual flu shot, there are other flu strains that can still infect you....
Bird flu, also called avian influenza, is typically confined to birds, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). However, in rare cases, it has crossed over to humans, mainly among humans exposed to infected poultry. Bird...
Influenza is a contagious disease that causes fever, chills, sore throat, cough, headache, fatigue and muscle aches. Infants, the elderly and patients with medical conditions can experience more severe and sometimes life-threatening symptoms, An...
Pregnant women are at higher risk of serious complications from the influenza virus. To protect these women and their unborn babies, the major U.S. professional medical organizations--including the American Medical Association, the American...
A common denominator between food allergies, the flu and irritable bowel syndrome is gastrointestinal symptoms. Each medical condition is distinctively different compared to the others. Each condition needs to be evaluated by a medical...
Human swine (H1N1) Influenza symptoms are the same as seasonal flu symptoms for most people. Until recently, swine flu occurrence in humans only appeared sporadically, and was associated with transmission by direct exposure to pigs. Beginning in...
Some health issues and chronic diseases are gender specific or tend to affect men more than women. Men are at a higher risk for certain medical conditions than women and also have the risk of prostate cancer to worry about. Fortunately, you can...
The flu is a contagious respiratory disease caused by infection with an influenza virus. Each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the flu affects 5 to 20 percent of Americans. Some people, such as the elderly,...
Bird flu has led to the deaths of hundreds of millions of wild and domestic birds and to a small number of human deaths. Bird flu remains difficult for humans to contract. Learn about the different causes, symptoms, and treatments of bird flu in...