There has been a lot in the news lately about Influenza (the flu).  We keep getting reports about people getting the bird (avian) flu and there is widespread concern about the possibility of an influenza pandemic.  Here are a few ‘flu facts’ we’d like to make available to you.

Flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses.    It can cause mild to serious illness, and at times can cause death.  Each year, on the average, 5 – 20% of the population in the US gets the flu. 

Avian flu is caused by avian influenza viruses, which occur naturally among birds.  It does not readily infect humans and, at least at the current time, has not been passed from one human to another.

Pandemic flu is flu that causes a global outbreak, or pandemic, of serious illness that spreads easily from person to person. Currently there is no pandemic flu.

Symptoms of the flu include fever, headache, extreme tiredness, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle aches, and gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea and vomiting.  Children may also get sinus problems and ear infections.  Flu spreads in droplets caused by coughing and sneezing, usually from person to person, though touching something with a virus on it may also infect a person.  It is possible to infect someone else for a day or so before you have any flu symptoms – before you even know you are sick – and you can infect others for seven days after getting sick. 

In order to help control the spread of the disease, authorities recommend that both adults and children with the flu stay at home until symptom free.  Because influenza is a virus, antibiotics, such as Penicillin, will not cure the flu.  If your child gets the flu, treatment should include rest, drinking plenty of liquids, and taking medication to relieve the symptoms of the flu.  DO NOT give your child aspirin if he/she has the flu.  Giving aspirin to children who have flu-like symptoms can cause a rare but serious illness called Reye syndrome.   Check the labels of all medications before giving them to your child.  If the medication contains aspirin, acetylsalicylic acid, or ASA, DO NOT give the medicine to your child.  

For more information the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a great website, www.cdc.gov/flu/, that is regularly updated regarding the flu.  The Spokane Regional Health District website, www.srhd.org/health/disease/pandemic.asp and the ESD 101 website, http://www.esd101.net/nurse_safety/default.aspx also have good resources regarding the flu.