Flu Season and the H1N1 Virus

Well, it’s that time of the year again. Flu season!! Apparently the US Government has a concern that people will think the seasonal flu is the H1N1 or H5N1 flu. They have taken great lengths on their national world health organization website to differentiate the different strains of viruses that are currently circulating. Educating the general public about the different viruses is one of the primary objectives of the WHO.

There seems to be some fear from officials that since the H1N1 has been active this year flu season could be bad. The concern goes some like if people are already sick with a regular flu the H1N1 might really do some damage to an already weak immune system.

According to Government websites, “Flu refers to illnesses caused by a number of different influenza viruses. Flu can cause a range of symptoms and effects, from mild to lethal.

Two strains of flu, seasonal flu and the H1N1 (Swine) flu, are currently circulating in the United States. A third, highly lethal H5N1 (Bird) flu is being closely tracked overseas.

Most healthy people recover from the flu without problems, but certain people are at high risk for serious complications.

Extensive efforts are underway to track and monitor the spread of all flu viruses. In the U.S., epidemiologists at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) are working with states to collect, compile and analyze reports of flu outbreaks. More on the current situation.

Flu symptoms may include fever, coughing, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, headaches, body aches, chills and fatigue. In H1N1 flu infection, vomiting and diarrhea may also occur.

Annual outbreaks of the seasonal flu usually occur during the late fall through early spring. Most people have natural immunity, and a seasonal flu vaccine is available. In a typical year, approximately 5 to 20 percent of the population gets the seasonal flu and approximately 36,000 flu-related deaths are reported.

This year, the H1N1 flu virus may cause a more dangerous flu season with a lot more people getting sick, being hospitalized and dying than during a regular flu season. H1N1 is a new virus first seen in the United States. It is contagious and spreads from person to person. Like seasonal flu, illness in people with H1N1 can vary from mild to severe.

Interactive Timeline on H1N1: The Year in Review
Follow the month-by-month development of the 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic.

A flu pandemic occurs when a new influenza A virus emerges for which there is little or no immunity in the human population; the virus causes serious illness and spreads easily from person-to-person worldwide. On June 11, 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that a global pandemic of H1N1 flu is underway.

H5N1 (Bird) flu is an influenza A virus subtype that is highly contagious among birds. Rare human infections with the H5N1 (Bird) flu virus have occurred. The majority of confirmed cases have occurred in Asia, Africa, the Pacific, Europe and the Near East. Currently, the United States has no confirmed human H5N1 (Bird) flu infections, but H5N1 (Bird) flu remains a serious concern with the potential to cause a deadly pandemic.”

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