SEASONAL INFLUENZA - Discussion 5

SEASONAL INFLUENZA Name Institution Affiliation Course Date of Submission Seasonal influenza is an acute viral infection that is caused by influenza RNA virus. This infection is categorized into influenza A, B and C, but only type A and B that are categorized with seasonal influenza since type C is a respiratory illness that is generally mild (Harper, et al., 2009). This illness is characterized by high fever, headache, muscle and joint pain and runny nose. Influenza has been seen to cause severe illness and death in people at high risk and spread easily in institutions and towns as coughs droplets from an infected person get into the air exposing the virus to another healthy individual (WHO, 2009). The spread is prevented through covering of mouth and nose when coughing and washing hands regularly. Annually the influenza epidemics seriously affects people of all ages with the highest complication occurring among adults over 65 years of age and children younger than two years (Harper, et al., 2009). The Illnesses result in hospitalizations and fatality largely to high-risk groups. Report indicates that the annual epidemic can result to about half a million deaths mostly in industrialized countries. People with medical conditions such as lung, heart diseases or weak immune systems are at risk of severe illness. Influenza is treated using anti-vira...