What is Influenza?

Influenza is a respiratory infection caused by a virus. It is a yearly concern of health professionals as it is a constantly changing and highly infectious virus. Most often present in the fall and winter months, the flu can reach epidemic proportions in many geographic areas and communities. Most of the more serious flu infections are of the Type A variety. For example, the famed “bird flu” or H5N1 started, to our knowledge, around 1997 with widespread worldwide damages. Over half of those infected with H5N1 have died. Because they were found to be the source of the infection, many diseased birds were annihilated at the beginning of the outbreak. Another example of a Type An Influenza strain is the H1N1 virus. Like the bird flu, it has quickly spread around the world. Since 2009, it has been infecting many people. That being said, the symptoms are far less deadly, for most people, than the bird flu.

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