Influenza as a Viral Infectious Disease - Research Paper Example

Natural hosts of this virus are wild aquatic birds and it can be transmitted to the domestic poultry and infect human. Influenza B virus is less virulent, and it has only one serotype. It usually infects human and does not have other natural hosts. The human receives immunity to this virus in early ages, but still, it doesn’t give us lasting immunity as the virus mutates. Influenza C is less spread and is transmitted to human, pigs, and dogs. (CDC,2014)Aerosol transmission is the most common way of the spread of influenza virus.

People can be infected when they inhale aerosols that contain viruses. The other way of transmission is direct one when mucus from an infected person gets in eyes, nose or mouth of a healthy person. Also, it can be transmitted through immediate contact with contaminated surfaces. The main symptoms of influenza are fever, temperature runs up to 38-39 C, fatigue, aching muscles, headache, dry cough, runny nose. Usually, people recover in one to two weeks after appropriate treatment. But sometimes complications such as pneumonia may occur.

( Cowling BJ,2014)Influenza is a quite ole disease as it was preserved throughout human history. The first evidence of influenza pandemic was observed in Russia in 1580 and then spread to Europe. The highest amount of people was infected during the Spanish flu pandemic in 1918-1919 and it caused approximately 20 million deaths worldwide and 500.000 deaths in the United States. There were a lot of different symptoms and this disease was misdiagnosed as cholera or typhoid. Lately was observed that symptoms were provoked by bacterial pneumonia.

Other influenza pandemics were not so huge. Among them was an Asian flu pandemic in 1957 that caused 70.000 deaths in the United States, Hong Kong flu in 1968 provoked 34.000 deaths in the United States, Russian flu in 1977 and 2009-2010 flu pandemic. Therefore, influenza is an infectious disease that causes by a virus. It is a quite common disease nowadays. Children and elderly are at the highest risk. Influenza transmitted through the air and immediate contact with contaminated surfaces. There were a lot of influenza pandemics that cause a high rate of deaths all over the world.

They included Spanish flu, Asian flu, Hong Kong flu. To prevent influenza trivalent and the quadrivalent vaccine is available that provides immunity against different influenza virus subtypes. The most effective and safe treatment of influenza contains such medicines as oseltamivir, zanamivir, amantadine, and rimantadine.