FluMist is a live, "attenuated"--or weakened--virus vaccine administered as a nasal spray. The Food and Drug Administration has approved FluMist for use in healthy people between the ages of 2 and 49 who are not pregnant. Children under age 9 who...
Influenza is a contagious respiratory virus that produces mild-to-severe disease in people of all ages. Most people who become sick with influenza experience mild-to-moderate disease that resolves on its own within two to five days. Some...
Influenza is an upper respiratory infection that can produce symptoms such as dry cough, sore throat, fever, chills, nausea, vomiting and loss of appetite. Because this illness is spread by airborne virus cells, it is highly contagious. Although...
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,...
A communicable disease, also called a contagious or infectious disease, is one that is transmitted from person to person. A person develops a communicable disease through direct contact with an infected person or by breathing in air that contains...
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 5 percent to 20 percent of Americans contract influenza each year. Although it is commonly considered a benign disease, influenza also accounts for 200,000 hospitalizations and...
According to Dr. Raphael Dolin in "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine," there are three types, or "genera," of influenza viruses: A, B and C. Epidemics are usually caused by influenza A viruses, in part because of their ability to rapidly...
Irritation of the lining tissues of the throat and airways trigger nerve cells that stimulate a cough response. Infections of the upper respiratory tract, from the nose through the upper airways, are frequent causes of dry cough. Dry cough may...
Influenza is classified as type A, type B or type C. Type A is the most severe and is responsible for epidemics such as avian flu and swine flu. The signs and symptoms of type A influenza can affect the digestive system, muscles, respiratory...
Flulike illness is a common complaint of people with herpes, according to Dr. Lawrence Corey in "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine." While it is possible to have the flu and herpes at the same time, more often these symptoms are simply...
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that influenza causes 200,000 hospitalizations and 36,000 deaths each year, mostly among children and the elderly. Although most kids with influenza recover without medical care, there are...
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the term "flu" is used to describe infection from a number of different viruses, including influenza A, influenza B and H1N1. Pneumonia, by contrast, refers to a lung infection and...
Influenza, most commonly known as the flu, is a virus that attacks the respiratory system. Highly contagious, influenza can cause severe illness and even death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), up to 20 percent of...
"Flu" is a generic term for a respiratory infection produced by several distinct influenza viruses, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). More than 200,000 people are hospitalized and about 36,000 people die from the flu in the...
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...
Influenza, commonly known as the flu, refers to a viral infection that affects the respiratory system. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center 35,000 people die of influenza each year. Its signs and symptoms include fatigue, a dry...
Influenza is an ever-changing viral respiratory infection that causes illnesses between October and April. The heaviest period of flu illnesses is in January and February, according to Immunize North Carolina. Although the flu in most people is...
Influenza, commonly known as "flu," is caused by a viral infection and is characterized by symptoms including chills and sweats, a dry cough, nausea, fever and vomiting. Influenza is highly contagious, and according to the University of Maryland...
Influenza is an upper respiratory infection that can produce symptoms such as dry cough, sore throat, fever, chills, nausea, vomiting and loss of appetite. Because this illness is spread by airborne virus cells, it is highly contagious. Although...
Communicable diseases are highly contagious illnesses passed from person-to-person via respiratory droplets, fluid, mucus, semen, saliva or breast milk. Sneezing, touching a contagious individual or object, drinking contaminated water or having...
Influenza is typically a self-limited illness characterized by fever, dry cough, muscle aches, sore throat, fatigue, and sometimes nausea and vomiting. However, the flu can cause serious complications, especially in people with preexisting health...
Human viruses cause a variety of maladies, depending on the virus type and the tissues infected. All humans contract multiple viruses throughout the course of life. The severity of viral illnesses ranges from mild to lethal. Cold, flu, stomach and...
