Influenza
By: Terry Mandujano
What is the cause of influenza and how is it transmitted?
Influenza is caused by the influenza virus. Influenza is spread through the air from person to person. You can also be infected by touching something that a person who is ill from influenza has touched and then you touch your eyes, mouth, or nose.
What are the symptoms?
Some of the symptoms are fever, runny or stuffy nose, headache, coughing, severe aches and pains (in worse cases), fatigue, and sometimes a sore throat.
How is it treated?
Influenza can be treated by taking prescription antiviral drugs or just over the counter medicine.
Ways to prevent Influenza
The first and the best way to prevent influenza is the flu vaccine. Also just avoiding those infected and always wash your hands.
Facts about Influenza
- Approximately 5-20% of U.S. get sick with the flu
- There are three types of the flu, A, B, and C
- The influenza virus is the member of the Orthomyxoviridae family
- Influenza was discovered by J.S. Koen in 1918, but not by a direct study of the disease in humans, but studies on animal diseases
- J.S. Koen was a veterinarian and discovered the disease while observing pigs
Sources
flu.gov
antimicrobe.org
medicalecology.org
cdc.gov
urmc.rochester.edu