What Is the Flu?

By Ingrid Strauch , Medically Reviewed by Robert Jasmer, MD

Influenza, a viral infection, causes an illness that can range from mild to life-threatening.
Influenza, more commonly known as flu, is a viral infection of the respiratory tract that
affects the nose, throat, and sometimes lungs.
Outbreaks of flu tend to happen annually, at about the same time every year. However, each
outbreak may be caused by a different subtype or strain of the virus, so a different flu
vaccine is needed to prevent the flu each year.

For most people, a bout of flu is an unpleasant but short-lived illness. For others, however, flu
can pose serious health risks, particularly if complications such as pneumonia develop.
Every year, thousands of Americans die from the flu. According to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of deaths caused annually by flu in the United
States ranged from 3,000 to 49,000 between 1976 and 2006, with an annual average of
23,607 flu-related deaths.
The best way to avoid getting the flu is to get an annual vaccination, encourage the people
you live and work with to do likewise, stay away from people who are sick, and wash your
hands frequently.
Types of Flu
There are three types of human influenza virus type A, type B, and type C and many
different variants within those types.
Because several types or strains of flu can circulate simultaneously, each years flu vaccine
protects against the three or four viruses predicted to be most common in the coming season.
Influenza A and B cause the seasonal epidemics of flu, with symptoms that can range from mild
to severe. Two types of influenza A and one or two influenza B viruses are included in the
seasonal vaccine.

Everyday Health Flu Map: Are You At Risk?

Influenza C causes a mild respiratory illness and is not thought to cause epidemics. It is not
included in the flu vaccine.
H1N1, or swine flu, is a type of influenza A that infects pigs and can also infect humans. It is
currently included in the flu vaccine.

Bird flu (avian flu, including the H5N1 and H7N9 strains) naturally occurs in wild aquatic

birds and can infect domestic poultry. It rarely infects humans but can be severe when it does.
Most cases of bird flu in humans have occurred in Asian countries.
While some people refer to a brief episode of nausea, vomiting, and malaise as 24-hour
flu or stomach flu, these are unrelated to influenza and are usually due to infection with
other viruses such as norovirus.
How the Flu Spreads
The flu spreads when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks, propelling droplets of
liquid into the air that either land on another persons mouth or nose or are inhaled into a
persons lungs.
The flu may also spread through direct contact with an infected persons nasal secretions, or
by touching an object with flu virus on it, then touching ones mouth or nose.
Symptoms of flu typically start within one to four days of infection.

An infected adult may be contagious from one day before symptoms start to 5 to 7 days after
becoming sick. Children may continue to be contagious for longer than 7 days.
Given how easily the flu is transmitted, staying home while sick and keeping sick children
home are important ways to reduce the spread of the flu.
Flu Complications
Complications of the flu can include:

Asthma flare-ups

Bronchitis

Ear infections

Heart problems

Pneumonia

Sinus infections

Complications of influenza may be caused by the flu virus itself or by a bacterial infection,
called a secondary bacterial infection.
When a patient is ill, it can often be difficult to determine if their illness is from the flu alone
or a secondary bacterial infection.
If the infection is caused by bacteria, antibiotics may be used to treat it. If its caused by the
flu virus, antibiotics will not be helpful, since antibiotics have no effect on viruses.

Source : http://www.everydayhealth.com/flu/

Vocabulary
Outbreak of flu

: penjangkitan flu

Strain of virus

: tipe/jenis virus

Epidemic

: epidemik, mewabahnya suatu penyakit dalam suatu daerah tertentu

yang melebihi batas normal atau jumlah yang biasa terjadi pada daerah
tersebut

Swine flu

: flu babi

Nausea

: mual

Vomiting

: muntah

Malaise

: malaise, kelemahan

Contagious

: menular

Asthma flare up

: serangan asma