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FLU Facts and updates |
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Flu Virus | Prevention | Facts | Treatment |
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The Franklin County Health Department wants to remind everyone to receive their flu vaccination each year. Influenza, commonly known as "the flu," is caused by the influenza virus, which infects the respiratory tract (nose, throat and lungs). Unlike many other viral respiratory infections, such as the common cold, the flue causes severe illness and life-threatening complications in many people. Symptoms of the flue include fever, headache, extreme tiredness, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, and muscle aches. Children can have additional gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, but these symptoms are uncommon in adults. Although the term "stomach flu" is sometimes used to describe nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea, these illnesses are caused by certain other viruses, bacteria, or possibly parasites, and are rarely related to influenza. In the United States the peak flu season can occur anywhere from late December through March. The overall health impact (i.e. infections, hospitalizations and deaths) of a flu season varies from year to year. The main way that influenza viruses are spread is from person to person in respiratory droplets of coughs and sneezes. This can happen when droplets from a cough or sneeze of an infected person are propelled (generally up to 3 feet) through the air and deposited on the mouth or nose of people nearby. The viruses also can be spread when a person touches respiratory droplets on another person or an object and then touches their own mouth or nose (or someone else's mouth or nose) before washing their hands. The single best way to prevent the flu is for individuals, especially people at high risk for serious complications from the flu, to get a vaccination each fall.
Some of the complications caused by flu include bacterial pneumonia, dehydration, and worsening of chronic medical conditions, such as congestive heart failure, asthma, or diabetes. Children may get sinus problems and ear infections as complications from the flu. Those aged 65 years and older and persons of any age with chronic medical conditions are at highest risk for serious complications of flu. Studies show that most healthy adults may be able to infect others from 1 day prior to becoming sick and for 5 days after they first develop symptoms. Some young children and people with weakened immune systems may be contagious for longer than a week. More than 200,000 persons are hospitalized for flu-related complications each year. About 36,000 Americans die on an average per year from the complications of flu. If the flu is contracted:
In some cases your doctor may choose to use certain antiviral drugs to treat the flu. Influenza is caused by a virus, so antibiotics do not cure it. Contact your doctor at the first sings of flu-like symptoms. To ensure that people who are at the highest risk of complications from influenza have access to vaccine, we recommend that only high priority individuals receive the vaccine until November. When our supply of vaccine is adequate (in early November) all persons will be vaccinated. Those targeted for vaccinations prior to November are:
It is recommended that all children aged 6 month through 5 years of age be vaccinated for influenza this year. However, the health department has not received our pediatric vaccine yet. We expect this vaccine to be delivered by November 1, 2006. Please call the Health Department for vaccine availability and clinics around the area. |