In July 2010, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, issued professional guidelines updating its 2009 recommendations for an immunization campaign to reduce the spread of influenza. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and...
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), 5 to 20 percent of the U.S. population is infected with influenza each year. The spectrum of disease associated with influenza ranges from mild, self-limited respiratory infection to fatal...
Individually treating the flu is a moderate task; however, preventing an outbreak of pandemic flu is a much larger task. A disease or illness becomes a pandemic when it spreads at an accelerated rate, limiting the ability of medical professionals...
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...
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), between five and 20 percent of the U.S. population gets influenza each year. While most people with influenza complain of fever, fatigue and lethargy, in very rare cases, influenza infection...
Influenza is also referred to as the flu or seasonal flu. Influenza is a highly contagious respiratory illness caused by a virus. The flu is generally mild in nature, but in some cases, it can lead to advanced distress, hospitalization and even...
The intestinal flu is caused from one of many viruses. The illness generally passes within 24 to 48 hours after symptoms appear. Food poisoning may mimic many of the same symptoms but can be a more serious condition and pose more health risks. The...
"Flu" is a generic term for a syndrome of respiratory infection produced by several distinct influenza viruses. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 200,000 people are hospitalized and about 36,000 people...
Swine influenza, known as H1N1, made headlines in the Spring of 2009. Normally a respiratory infection found in pigs, this influenza virus strain passed to humans and created a worldwide scare.
Doctors' offices and laboratories offer several types of tests for influenza, which vary by accuracy, availability and the time required to get a result. All tests for influenza detect both influenza A and B viruses, which cause the flu. Not...
The stomach flu causes severe symptoms in some patients. Stomach flu doesn't affect the stomach nor is it caused by influenza. Doctors call this digestive disorder viral gastroenteritis. It is the second most common illness in the United States,...
A seasonal disease caused by the orthomyxoviridus virus, influenza causes 36,000 deaths annually in the United States, according to Oregon.gov. Influenza is highly contagious, spreading by airborne droplets and contaminated surfaces. The majority...
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), 5 to 20 percent of Americans are infected by influenza viruses each year. Influenza produces a spectrum of disease, ranging from mild, self-limited respiratory disease to life-threatening...
The flu, or seasonal influenza, is a serious virus that can affect anyone. According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 200,000 people end up in the hospital each year because of complications arising from the flu. Of those, around...
Influenza is an acute infectious disease that affects the respiratory tract. It is characterized by the abrupt onset of headache, fevers, chills, muscle pains, severe malaise, cough, sore throat and rhinitis. The acute illness generally resolves...
The term "flu" refers to any of several acute, febrile, highly contagious viral diseases marked especially by respiratory or intestinal symptoms. RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae, commonly known as influenza virus, are held responsible...
The CDC classifies FluMist as a "live attenuated influenza vaccine," which means that it is a weakened form of the actual influenza virus. An aerosolized suspension of the weakened virus is inhaled, and infection results when the virus crosses the...
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...
Germs and viruses are an interesting concept for young children to grasp, especially kids younger than the age of 6 or 7 whose abstract reasoning skills are developing. Introduction of the concepts of germs, bacteria, viruses and disease will...
Seasonal influenza, also known simply as the flu, infects 5 to 20 percent of the population each year in the United States, according to Flu.gov. Influenza usually starts in late autumn and is widespread during the winter months into early spring....
Influenza, or the flu, is a viral infection that affects your lungs, throat and nose. The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, or NFID, states that over 60 million people in the United States experience this infection each year, usually in...
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend the annual flu vaccine as the first and most important step towards reducing the risk of seasonal influenza. The flu vaccine is available in two forms: the flu shot and a nasal spray....
Every year, from November to April, more than 60 million people in the United States are infected with an influenza virus, or the flu, according to KidsHealth, a health information site sponsored by the Nemours Foundation. The influenza virus is...
In response to the need for factual information on H1N1 influenza, more commonly known as the swine flu, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention established the Flu.gov website. Many myths persist, however, partly because of the...
Getting the seasonal flu shot is the single best way to avoid getting the flu each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In 2009, an additional vaccine was approved for the pandemic H1N1 or swine flu strain. In...
Influenza ("the flu") is a contagious disease with symptoms such as fever, chills, cough, fatigue, and muscle pain. Flu vaccines protect against flu infection, and are formulated yearly to provide protection despite seasonal changes in the virus....
While people can contract the cold or flu throughout the year, the most common time for the season to spike is between September and January although a cold or the flu can occur at any time. Almost everyone has had a cold or flu at some point in...
Influenza, or "the flu," is a respiratory virus that can affect people's bodies and appetites in various ways. In general, when you have the flu, you can eat any foods that do not exacerbate your symptoms, such as nausea, congestion or sore...
Influenza, more commonly referred to as the flu, is a viral infection that attacks the respiratory system, including your nose, throat, bronchial tubes and lungs. The flu should not be taken lightly. Thousands of people die of complications due to...
