Flu Epidemiology Symptoms and Treatment

 

What is flu and how long does flu last in adults?

Flu  (Грипп, influenza, الرشح) is a common viral infectious disease that spreads by respiration of contaminated airborne droplets through coughs and/or sneezes. Flu is an epidemic disease that usually occurs in winter, affecting nearly everyone and anyone that comes into contact with a sick person, making it a very unpleasant familial infection. However, with proper prompt treatment, flu symptoms usually resolve within 2-3 days.

In most cases, the patient usually starts to feel better within 2-4 days.

In the United States, human influenza A and B viruses cause annual influenza epidemics that occur mainly during winter.

Pathogen – Flu is caused by four types of negative-strand RNA viruses in the genus orthomyxoviruses. There are four types of flu viruses: A, B, C and D.

Epidemiology

How do you get flu?

Source of infection

In most cases, flu is caused by direct contact with an infected person.

How long are you contagious with the flu?

Most of the time, individuals become contagious about 24 to 72 hours after direct contact with an infected person and remain contagious for up to five days.

Some individuals can be infected with the influenza virus but have no symptoms. However, during this period of time, those individuals may still spread the virus to other people.

How can influenza be transmitted to humans?

Transmission– The virus spreads by respiration of contaminated airborne droplets when an infected person sneezes or coughs on you, or by direct contact (through direct person-to-person contact) with infected individuals (between an infected person and a susceptible person), such as shaking hands, touching, kissing (contact with oral secretions), sexual contact, hugging, drinking from the same glass, etc.

Clinical picture

How long does it take for a person to get influenza?

Incubation period – The incubation period for flu ranges from few hours to 2x days after direct contact with an infected person. Flu is characterized with an acute onset, symptoms usually develop suddenly and progresses quickly (acute disease).

How long does it take for symptoms to appear for the flu?

Symptoms usually start 1 to 4 days after exposure to the virus.

What are the symptoms of influenza?

Intoxication syndrome – In flu symptoms develop suddenly, and temperature may also rise to reach 39-40° C (progressive fever), which is usually accompanied by a frontal lobe headache, generalized weakness, malaise, pain when moving eyes, anorexia, vomiting and nausea.

Catarrhal syndrome – Bright hyperemia of the throat, granularity of the soft palate, hyperemia and puffiness of the face, injection of vascular sclera, dry cough, nasal congestion, sneezing, sore nasopharynx and soreness in the chest.

Hemorrhagic syndrome in severe conditions

What are the first symptoms of the flu?

Common symptoms of flu include:

1. Fever with chills
2. Cough
3. Headache
4. Arthralgias (joint pain) and Myalgias (muscle Pain)
5. Pain around the eyes
6. Runny or stuffy nose
7. Generalised weakness
8. Diarrhea, vomiting, and cramps, especially among children, rather than adults.
9. Red watery eyes (pink eye or conjunctivitis)
10. Hyperemia of the face, patients usually present with warm, flushed skin

Complications

What are the complications of flu?

Toxic shock, meningoencephalitis, bacterial co infection (pneumonia, rhinitis, pathological disorders of the respiratory tract, respiratory distress syndrome, nephritis, etc.)

How to diagnose flu?

Laboratory diagnosis – In the analysis of blood leukopenia with a relative lymphocytosis.

Specific diagnostics – detection of viral antigen by Fluorescent antibody method (IAF – Immunofluorescence), serological diagnosis – ELISA, Haemagglutination reaction (PHA), Complement binding (RSK)

How to treat the flu?

Treatment– Etiotropic therapy (Rimantadine, leukocyte interferon) expedient in the 1^st two days of the illness.

Pathogenetic therapy, detoxification, Angioprotectors: Rutin, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), desensitizing agents, Multivitamins.

Stage 2 – constant correction of the ongoing loss of water and electrolytes (for 2- 3 hours measure the amount of feces, emetic weights, and in the next 2-3 hours administer an equivalent amount of saline to replace and correct the loss).

Etiotropic treatment is considered as a complement to the pathogenetic therapy and is aimed at preventing the possibility of being a carrier of the virus – doxycycline 100mg once a day.

 

 

 

References

 

 

Verified by: Dr.Diab (November 12, 2017)

Citation: Dr.Diab. (November 12, 2017). Flu Epidemiology Symptoms and Treatment. Medcoi Journal of Medicine, 10(2). urn:medcoi:article15851.