Definition
Usually
referred to as the flu or grippe, influenza is a highly infectious
respiratory disease. The disease is caused by certain strains of the
influenza virus. When the virus is inhaled, it attacks cells in the
upper respiratory tract, causing typical flu symptoms such as fatigue, fever and chills, a hacking cough,
and body aches. Influenza victims are also susceptible to potentially
life-threatening secondary infections. Although the stomach or
intestinal "flu" is commonly blamed for stomach upsets and diarrhea,
the influenza virus rarely causes gastrointestinal symptoms. Such
symptoms are most likely due to other organisms such as rotavirus, Salmonella, Shigella, or Escherichia coli.
The flu is considerably more debilitating than the common cold. Influenza outbreaks occur suddenly, and infection spreads rapidly. The annual death
toll attributable to influenza and its complications averages 20,000 in
the United States alone. In the 1918–1919 Spanish flu pandemic, the
death toll reached a staggering 20-40 million worldwide. Approximately
500,000 of these fatalities occurred in America.
Description
The flu is considerably more debilitating than the common cold. Influenza outbreaks occur suddenly, and infection spreads rapidly. The annual death
toll attributable to influenza and its complications averages 20,000 in
the United States alone. In the 1918–1919 Spanish flu pandemic, the
death toll reached a staggering 20-40 million worldwide. Approximately
500,000 of these fatalities occurred in America.
Influenza
outbreaks occur on a regular basis. The most serious outbreaks are
pandemics, which affect millions of people worldwide and last for
several months. The 1918–1919 influenza outbreak serves as the primary
example of an influenza pandemic. Pandemics also occurred in 1957 and
1968 with the Asian flu and Hong Kong flu, respectively. The Asian flu
was responsible for 70,000 deaths in the United States, while the Hong
Kong flu killed 34,000.
