Influenza
Introduction
Influenza is among the most prevalent infectious airborne viral diseases that affect the respiratory system. According to the World Health Organization (2016), the infection majorly affects the throat, nose, and the bronchi, and on rare occasions, it may affect the lungs. Also commonly known as the flu, influenza infection is characterized by sneezing, itchy and running nose as well as throat inflammation. The initial signs and symptoms include fever with temperatures higher that 100F, soreness in the back, myalgia, legs and arm muscles, sweats and chills, frontal or retro-orbital headaches, tachycardia, red, watery eyes, and fatigue. Sometimes, a dry and persistent cough, nasal congestion and discharge occur
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The standard diagnostic procedure of Influenza A and B involves a viral culture of the throat or nasopharyngeal specimens. Nevertheless, chest radiography should perform on high-risk patients like the elderly to rule out the presence of pneumonia (Clark & Lynch, 2011).
Management (Prevention and Treatment)
The most efficient Influenza management strategy is prevention. The medical systems in most countries provide influenza A and B vaccines annually before the onset of flu seasons. Usually, the flu vaccine is trivalent; protecting the recipients from the three influenza virus subtypes namely; A-H1, A-H3, and B. However, in 2012, a quadrivalent vaccine was developed and availed for use in 2013. This vaccine covers a second variety of the B subtype in addition to the ones covered by the traditional vaccine. Besides, an H5N1 flu shot has been approved by FDA and availed to government agencies (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016). Apart from vaccination, influenza transmission can be minimized by observing public health measures such as reporting and isolating infected individuals by providing home such leaves and treatment.
Usually, most flu patients recover without any medical intervention within 7 to 14 days. However, the high-risk groups like the young, the elderly and immunocompromised individuals require medical intervention to prevent the occurrence of other complications.
Influenza, also known as the flu, is a highly contagious viral disease that affects the upper respiratory tract. Flu season typically lasts between the months of October and April. Signs and symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, muscle aches, fatigue, runny nose, and headaches. Individuals that are at a high risk of getting the flu include: children under the age of two, persons 65 and older, pregnant women, and persons with a chronic illness. Environment factors can also increase the risk of contracting the flu. Complications can include pneumonia, ear and sinus infections, dehydration, or worsening of chronic medical conditions. The influenza virus could eventually lead to longer hospitalization or death if left untreated. According to the CDC, the best way to prevent the flu is by getting vaccinated each year. Compliance with the vaccination is also important in preventing the flu.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2013) national healthcare disparities report for 2010, influenza and pneumonia are ranked within the top ten major causes of death in the United States. The influenza viruses that will be discussed throughout this case study include the human influenza viruses: A and B. These viruses are responsible for seasonal epidemics during the fall and winter around the globe in temperate environments. Historically influenza outbreaks have had a seasonal distribution and characteristic time course although according to the CDC (2017) factors influencing the extent and severity of an outbreak are less clear. Generally, there are two or three different influenza strains typically circulating concurrently in any given
Influenza, also known as “the flu,” is a virus that infects the respiratory tract. Although Influenza is not as severe as many viral infections it's almost the worst for viral infections of the respiratory tract. Typically, when someone is infected with influenza they experience fever (usually 100° to 103°F in adults, but even higher in children) and causes a cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, and also headaches, muscle aches, and usually extreme tiredness. There are sometimes other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea but usually only in rare cases with young children. One other note: The term “Stomach flu” isn’t really caused by the influenza virus.
They view proteins created by infected cells, and are sent to other cells to start them making protective substances. Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is a very contagious disease caused by a virus infecting many part of our bodies including the reparatory tract. The influenza virus depending on the sternness usually includes: fever, cough, sore throat, headache, stuffy and running nose, muscle soreness and fatigue. It also can include vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea.
Influenza has many symptoms to help your immune system fight the Flu virus. Influenza has an extremely rare chance of killing its host since we are so immune to it. Influenza is not a serious virus so you should recover from this virus in under two weeks. This virus will attack “mainly your nose, throat, bronchi, and occasionally, lungs” (Influenza). Influenza is non-life threatening.
Symptoms of the flu can include; a 100 degree fever or higher, cough/ sore throat, runny/stuffy nose, body aches, chills, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, but that is more common in children.
Influenza is responsible for hospitalizations and deaths in the United States. Prevention through vaccination is one way to circumvent illnesses, hospitalizations and deaths. Those persons who were more susceptible fall into the categories of 6 months to 4 years of age and 65 years and older. According to CDC (2013), the 2012-13 influenza season was characterized as a moderately severe season based on the surveillance data. Regardless of suggestions and encouragements of schools and places of employment for individuals to be vaccinated against the flu, fewer than half the persons in the United States each year are inoculated against this disease. Influenza vaccines are now widely used to reduce the burden of annual epidemics of influenza virus infections (Cowling, et al., 2016).
The symptoms of influenza, the seasonal flu, include a fever from one hundred point four degrees to one hundred and six degrees Fahrenheit, the fever can be continuous or it may come and go. It is usually higher with younger people, and lower with adults. The higher the fever is, the more severe the other symptoms are. These other symptoms include: body aches, headaches, pain when you move your eyes, fatigue, dry cough, runny nose, sore throat, and chills. After a couple of days of rest, most were up and feeling good again. For pregnant women, small children, and the elderly, influenza could be very
Following isolation of a confirmed or suspected H7N9 infected patient, treatment involves the standard Influenza A flu treatments to ease symptoms along with antiviral drugs to prevent the infection from getting worse. For example, the use of antipyretics (fever reducer), cough suppressants, and expectorants (loosens mucus) along with adequate sleep and water is recommended [26]. In patients with severe respiratory symptoms, such as ARDS, mechanical ventilation is also critical for treatment [26,19]. Patients with secondary infections that may occur in damaged lungs, such as bacterial infections, may also require antibiotics on top of the influenza A treatments [26]. Furthermore, current treatment also involves immediate treatment with neuraminidase
Influenza, commonly referred to as the seasonal flu, is a respiratory infection caused by a virus. Areas
Throughout history, the flu has killed and afflicted countless people, but the virus has been becoming a big problem in somewhat more recent history. One of many serious flu outbreaks started around 100 years ago. Illness from the 1918 flu pandemic, also known as the Spanish flu, came on quickly. People who had caught the virus felt fine in the morning, but were dead by nightfall. Others who caught the Spanish Flu, but did not die directly from the sickness often died anyway from
There are a lot of symptoms that may affect patients such as coughing, chills, body aches and diarrhea. They vary by the immune status and the age. These symptoms help the doctor to diagnose H1N1 influenza but sometimes it might be hard to diagnose influenza because the clinical signs and symptoms could be the same as other diseases. However, the doctor can make sure that by performing a laboratory test, that will help figure out the cause of the flu virus. The doctor will swab your nose or throat so he or she can take sample fluid from your body in order to make a diagnosis. The swab will be used in various genetics testing and laboratory techniques to identify the specific type of virus
Influenza A and B viruses are responsible for causing influenza. It is an acute respiratory illness that occurs every year mainly during fall and winter (from late November through March).1 Therefore, CDC recommends to vaccinate everyone 6 months and older with influenza vaccine every year. Children aged 6 months – 4 years, adults 50 years and over, health care professionals, immunosuppressed personnel, American Indians/ Alaska natives, extremely obese patients (BMI ≥ 40) and pregnant women should be prioritized to receive influenza vaccines in case of limited vaccine supply.2 Among adults, people over 65 years have more chances of complications, hospitalizations and death from influenza vaccine as most of them have some chronic diseases which
Background & Audience Relevance: Influenza is an infection that can affect anyone around the world. Am quite sure almost everyone, if not all of us, have been infected with influenza at some point in our lives.
Influenza, also known as the “flu virus” is something that everyone has heard of, and many people have gotten at some point within their life. It is a very common virus that attacks the respiratory system. The flu affects thousands of people every year. There are many different strains of the flu, but the main three are A, B, and C. There are many symptoms that indicate infection, but they are usually not gastrointestinal. Children, pregnant women, and elderly people are most at risk of catching the flu. There are many ways to prevent from catching it and just as many ways to keep from spreading the flu. The flu virus is one of most common viral infections that people catch.