The flu, a highly contagious respiratory infection, causes cough and fever in people who have it. This eMedTV segment offers a detailed look at this illness, including who is most at risk from it and how outbreaks occur.
This eMedTV article discusses the three main types of flu in detail, including how they are transmitted between species. Also discussed in this article are the further classifications of the flu virus and an overview of where the flu comes from.
The flu virus is not only highly contagious; it's also highly changeable. As this eMedTV segment points out, this helps it to spread quickly from person to person. This article explains the history of this virus, how it spreads, and more.
Sore throat, fever, and chills are a few common symptoms of the flu. This eMedTV segment explains flu symptoms in detail, including potential complications in adults, teenagers, and children.
In order to make a flu diagnosis, doctors look at a person's symptoms and find out whether the flu is epidemic within a community. This eMedTV segment explains how a doctor goes about making a flu diagnosis and explains why lab tests are seldom used.
As this eMedTV article explains, treating the flu generally involves rest, drinking plenty of fluids, and taking pain-relievers. This article also explains how four new drugs have been approved as well, including Tamiflu.
As this eMedTV page explains, drugs such as Tamiflu, Flumadine, and Relenza can be used to both prevent the flu and treat associated symptoms. This article covers medications that are used for the flu, including how they work and potential side effects.
Flu complications tend to appear after the patient starts to feel better. Symptoms include high fever, cough with mucus, and chills. This eMedTV article discusses the results of flu complications in adults, teenagers, and children.
As this eMedTV segment explains, the flu vaccine is the best method for preventing the flu. However, there are certain medications that can help prevent the illness if you take them for at least two weeks during a flu outbreak in your community.
Flu shots, as this segment of the eMedTV archives explains, are based on both current and expected flu viruses. They do not cause the flu. Flu shots can be obtained at supermarkets, drugstores, and doctors' offices, among other places.
This segment of the eMedTV archives describes outbreaks of the flu throughout history. These outbreaks, such as the ones in 1918 and 1976, have the potential to spread quickly from person to person, especially when the strain of the virus is new.
The bird flu is generally rare in humans, but there is concern that it may soon cause a pandemic. This eMedTV resource examines bird flu in humans and birds (especially the H5N1 strain), including transmission, symptoms, and treatment options.
A pandemic is an infectious disease affecting a large portion of the population of a large region. This eMedTV article offers more information on the definition of this term and provides links to specific examples of this event throughout history.
The 20th century has seen several instances of pandemic flu. This eMedTV page explains the difference between a pandemic and a typical outbreak of the flu. This article also talks about what to expect in the event of another pandemic.
In order to distinguish between an epidemic and a pandemic, there are six phases that make up pandemic stages. As this eMedTV segment explains, these pandemic stages occur in three separate periods (interpandemic, pandemic alert, and pandemic).
The 1918 flu caused the highest number of known flu deaths worldwide, estimated at 50 million to 100 million people. This eMedTV article includes information and statistics related to this flu and explores whether it could happen again.
Common symptoms of canine flu include fever, cough, and nasal discharge. This eMedTV article describes this disease in detail, including information on treatment and prevention. There are no reported cases of this flu in humans.
