Although new variations of influenza, or the flu, arise every year, there are only three classifications of the flu, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: A, B or C viral infections. Avery form of the flu, including avian or...
Influenza describes the illnesses caused by the orthomyxoviridae family of viruses. These viruses are generally spread via respiratory droplets and can cause a variety of symptoms, including a fever, muscle aches, chills and a cough due to their...
In April 2009, researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the discovery of a new flu strain now known as 2009 H1N1 or "swine flu." According to the CDC, the new flu strain contains genes from flu strains that...
The National Institutes of Health reports that there are about 36,000 deaths from the flu each year. There are three different types of influenza viruses that cause disease in humans: A, B and C. According to the Arizona Department of Health...
Influenza type B is one of three types of flu virus, the other two being type A and type C. Of the three, types A and B cause seasonal flu and can lead to epidemics. Between November and April, the time period known as flu season, is when most flu...
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the swine flu, also known as H1N1, is a newer influenza strain that was first detected in the U.S. around April 2009. The H1N1 strain was nicknamed the swine flu because scientists...
H1N1, also known as the swine flu, is a strain of type A influenza that began infecting people in 2009, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports. In June 2009 the World Health Organization declared that this new strain of the...
All forms of flu are caused by influenza viruses and they fall into three categories: A, B and C. Fujian human flu falls into the "A" category, and is a subtype of it known as H3N2 (H1N1 is also a subtype of the "A" strain). When the Fujian flu...
The flu virus mutates frequently, so flu shot components change seasonally. Scientists can never be certain which flu strains will affect a given geographic region. To combat this, vaccine manufacturers use several different flu strains in the...
The swine flu (also known as H1N1 influenza) got its name because of the similarities between it and strains of the flu that infect swine. It is thought that the virus is derived from pig-infecting strain that developed genetic mutations that...
The flu, or seasonal influenza, is a highly contagious infection caused by the influenza virus. The flu virus typically infects the respiratory tract, including the nose, throat and lungs. Since the flu is an airborne virus, it often affects many...
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....
Influenza of all forms (aside from the stomach flu, which is not really a form of influenza) is a viral infection of the respiratory system. As the Centers for Disease Control notes, people catch the flu by inhaling droplets of contaminated...
Vaccines work by introducing biological materials into the body to produce specific immunities. They are most effective when introduced several months before encountering microbes in a real-world setting. For instance, the influenza vaccine...
Elderberries have a long history as a folk cure for a variety of ailments. Currently, scientific studies are being conducted to test the accuracy of these health claims. While some uses haven't been proven yet, elderberries in the form of...
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2008, seasonal flu results in more than 200,000 hospitalizations and 36,000 deaths each year. Getting a yearly seasonal flu vaccine, the CDC says, is the first and most important...
People can get the various types of flu directly or indirectly. For example, when a person coughs, the virus travels into the air and anyone within range of the airborne virus can become infected. The other way to pick up the flu virus comes from...
Colloidal silver becomes the kung fu master of your immune system when taken in small doses. The microscopic particles of colloidal silver easily move through skin barriers where they are thought to deactivate a range of microbes using highly...
Joint pain and loss of appetite are symptoms that occur together in several different conditions. Joint pain is the feeling of inflammation, achiness, soreness, or stiffness in the area where two bones articulate or come together. If this symptom...
The H1N1 flu, also commonly known as swine flu, is an infection of the respiratory system that is similar to normal flu. It was categorized in the spring of 2009, and the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic of the disease....
First detected in the United States in April 2009, the swine flu is a newer and more devastating influenza strain, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Also known as H1N1 the swine flu has similar characteristics to...
The influenza virus, commonly referred to simply as the flu, causes thousands of deaths every year, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine's Medline Plus Medical Encyclopedia. Flu shots are an injectable form of vaccine designed to...
The respiratory infection commonly known as swine flu spreads quickly and easily according to the Mayo Clinic. The infection became prevalent in the final months of the 2009 flu season and was declared a pandemic for more than a year by the World...
The influenza virus causes a communicable disease that affects the upper respiratory system, notes MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health. Type A influenza, type B influenza and type C...
Bird flu is a general term that describes any form of influenza that can infect birds (avians). According to the Center for Disease Control, most forms of bird flu are not dangerous, even for birds. In fact, many wild birds carry around strains of...
You want to protect your child from harm, and that includes preventing him from getting sick. Vaccines effectively prevent common childhood diseases, including influenza, or the flu. As with all medicines, vaccines have the potential of causing...
Influenza, known as the flu, is a common virus that causes illness in ducks, chickens, whales, horses, pigs, seals and humans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Influenza is technically part of the orthomyxovirus...
Swine flu, also known as the H1N1 virus, first was labeled as such in early 2009 with an outbreak in Mexico. Since then, it has swept across the world, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a global pandemic. H1N1 has symptoms...
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends flu vaccination for all children younger than 19. Children--especially those younger than 5 and those with health problems--are more likely to develop complications from the flu than...