Influenza virus is a virus that manifests itself through a respiratory infection. With this virus, (also called flu virus) there are different genera, which belong to the orthomyxoviruses. Depending on the genus of the virus, influenza can be mild or severe.
What is the influenza virus?
Influenza is an infectious disease. Typically, the influenza virus is contracted during the winter months. In the summer, infection with influenza is rare. The influenza virus is divided into three different genera. These genera include influenza C, influenza B, and influenza A. In addition to the genera, there are also different subtypes. The subtypes are created by the transformation of the virus. Every year the virus changes its surface and acquires immunity to certain vaccines. For this reason, there are occasional epidemics and rarely pandemics. Influenza can be a heavy burden on the body. Elderly and chronically ill people are therefore more often affected by influenza than healthy and younger people. Rarely, influenza infection is fatal.
Occurrence, distribution, and characteristics
Influenza virus can spread throughout the world. Nearly 100 years ago, the Spanish flu took the lives of millions of people. The Asian flu also claimed many lives. Other pandemics have occurred in Hong Kong and Russia. The last major flu epidemic occurred in 2009. Nearly 20,000 people died as a result of swine flu. The flu spreads through droplet infection. Close contact with many people increases the risk of getting flu. Not only direct contact leads to infection with the influenza virus. Indirect contact, which occurs when people touch the same objects, can also transmit the virus. After contracting the flu, it usually takes only a few days for the infectious disease to break out. Those who have contracted the flu are already contagious themselves from the moment of infection. That is why it is so easy to spread influenza. As a rule, influenza lasts for a week. In children or people with a weakened immune system, influenza may take longer to fight. Once an influenza virus infection has occurred, the symptoms are always similar. The sick person feels fatigued and suffers from fever. Often, infection with the virus also leads to chills. Characteristic of an infection with influenza is an infection of the respiratory tract. Therefore, those affected complain of a dry cough and problems with breathing. Occasionally it happens that the respiratory infection develops into pneumonia. Flu is also accompanied by a cold. In individual cases, there may also be problems in the gastrointestinal tract. Nausea and vomiting as well as diarrhea are therefore also indicative of the influenza virus. Many people also complain of headaches in connection with influenza. If children are infected with the flu virus, there is also a risk of inflammation of the ears. After the infection is over, the symptoms also disappear quickly.
Diseases and ailments
Infection with the flu virus is dangerous for children, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals. The mentioned groups of people usually suffer from more severe symptoms and secondary diseases. If an infection with the influenza virus occurs, a superinfection may result. Influenza caused by a virus is thus symptomatically worsened by specific bacteria. Infection with bacteria usually necessitates the use of antibiotics to prevent severe disease progression. One sign that indicates that a superinfection is present is an increase in weakness and fever. Pneumonia that has a bacterial origin is particularly serious. Bacterial inflammation of the lungs occasionally leads to the fatal course of influenza if left untreated. People with chronic disease of the lungs are more likely to be affected by bacterial pneumonia than healthy individuals. In rare cases, inflammation of the brain (encephalitis) may occur. Encephalitis is characterized by severe headaches, nausea and stiffness of the neck. The sufferer often complains of fatigue. Seizures are another sign of encephalitis. As a rule, those affected also suffer from confusion.If the flu is carried over, inflammation of the heart muscle or pericardium often occurs. At the beginning of the inflammation of the heart, there are no symptoms. If the inflammation worsens, shortness of breath and heart palpitations are the first signs of a heart problem. If the heart is affected, sudden cardiac arrest occurs in rare cases. Therefore, if the heart is involved, sufferers should take it easy. One sign that the flu virus infection is complicated is a rise in fever. Usually, the fever drops after four days at the latest. If there is a significant increase in fever after the passage of a few days, a doctor should be consulted immediately.
