INFLUENZA - viral infection of the respiratory tract — Health Aware - Mens, womens and children. Fitness and health care

Influenza is commonly known as flu. It is a viral infection of the respiratory tract and noted as a highly infectious disease and present all year round in Malaysia.Flu is highly contagious. It can be transmitted through the droplets by sneezing and cough. In Malaysia, the flu cases peak twice a year, in Apr-Jun and Nov-Jan.

Causes:

• Virus influenza A
• Virus influenza B
• Virus influenza C

All 3 viruses can infect human however virus influenza A is most dangerous because it can infect both human and animal. Virus influenza can mutate and become a new type of virus that can be more dangerous. This new type of virus can cause the ‘endemic influenza’ and ‘pandemic influenza’.

Symptoms of influenza:
The incubation period of influenza is usually 1-3 days. After that you will start to have the symptoms:

•         Abrupt fever (more than 38?C) – it may associated with shivering
•         Headache
•         Extreme tiredness
•         General muscle aches
•         Persistent dry cough can last for several weeks
•         Sore throat
•         Runny or stuffy nose
•         Sneezing

Illness usually lasts for 2 to 7 days or longer, but complete recovery may take longer. Influenza viruses can cause a prolonged period of debility and depression. It is called post viral syndrome and may take weeks or months to clear.

Differential between flu and common cold:

Symptoms	Flu	Common cold
High grade fever	Usually > 38?C	Usually < 38?C
Lethargy	Severe. It can goes up to 2-3 weeks	Moderate
Joint pain	Severe	Moderate
Cough	Severe. Initially cough without phlegm	Nil/moderate
Runny nose	Nil/moderate	Severe
Sneezing	Frequent	Nil/moderate
Sore throat	Severe	Nil/moderate
Headache	Severe	Moderate
Causes	Virus influenza A, B or C	Adenovirus, rhinovirus, Para influenza virus, etc

Treatment and management:

• Symptomatic relief – paracetomol is given for the fever.
• Drink warm water or soup to improve the symptoms of sore throat and cough
• Balance diet
• Get enough rest
• Try not to be stress because stress can impaired the immune system
• Antibiotics will be given if secondary bacterial infection is suspected or if the individuals are also suffered for chronic bronchitis, renal or heart disease.
• If necessary, to get further treatment from the hospital
• Amantadine hydrochloride 100-200mg daily may attenuate influenza A infection. It should be reserved to people with chronic respiratory or cardiovascular disease who have not previously been immunized by influenza virus.

How to prevent influenza?

• During coughing or sneezing, cover the mouth and nose
• Hand wash
• Throw the used tissue in the waste basket
• If you are infected with influenza, use the mask to cover your mouth and nose. This is useful to prevent the others from get infected as well. Try to stay away from the public area.

Complications of influenza:

• Secondary bacterial infection, particularly with Streptococcus pneumonia and haemophilus influenza.
• Bacterial pneumonia (rare but more serious – pneumonia that is caused by Staphylococcus aureus has a mortality rate up to 20%)
• Dehydration
• Worsening of chronic medical conditions such as congestive heart failure, asthma or diabetes.
• Sinusitis
• Otitis media

Complications can be severe and may lead to death.

Differential between antiviral and influenza vaccine

• Antiviral – the medication that is given by our doctor to treat the flu. This will help you to recover from flu and to reduce the complication that might be cause by the disease.
• Vaccine – this is a prophylaxis that is given to some people. Protection by influenza vaccines is only effective in up to 70% of people and is of short duration. It usually lasting for only 1 year.
Who should be vaccinated?

People who care about their health, especially:

a.   People at high risk for complications from the flu:
• Children aged 6 months to 5 years
• Pregnant women
• People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions, e.g.: diabetes, asthma, COPD and heart diseases (routine vaccination should be considered)
• People in nursing homes and other long term care facilities.
b.   People who live with or care for those listed above
c.   People who work or have contact with other people (e.g.: office workers)
d.   It is highly recommended that for those who want to go to the ‘cold season country’ to be vaccinated, especially during winter season.

Others:
• Avian flu – also known as bird flu. This is type of virus that can infect both the birds and human.
• Epidemic influenza – flu that infect a group of human from one place or a country
• Pandemic influenza – this is when the flu infect the majority of human population all over the world. Usually, pandemic is causes by the new type of virus where nobody else in the world have any immunization against the virus. The most serious pandemic of influenza occurred in 1918, and was associated with more than 20 million deaths worldwide.

Reference:
1. Clinical medicine by Kumar and Clark, 4th edition. 1998.
2. Oxford handbook of Clinical Medicine, 4th edition. 1998.
3. Fact sheet by Malaysian Ministry of Health
4. fact sheet by Sanofi Aventis

Technorati Tags: avian flu, complication, health, incubation period, influenza, respiratory, symptoms, treatment.

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One Comment
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Nice article Dr Irham. I like the simplicity of the layout of the tables.

I think the symtpoms Im suffering from at the minute fall under the category of “manflu”

Oh well. Its untreatable :face5:

1. Sam (5 comments.) on October 2nd, 2008 at 11:03 pm