Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
Harry Ta
Professor Garrido-Ortega
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There are many diseases that inflict the United States such as human immunodeficiency
virus (HIV), sexual transmitted illnesses, heart disease, cancer, and strokes. One of the most
common and known diseases in the United States is influenza (flu). Due to the agent of
influenzas special characteristics and properties, and the seasonal epidemic, there is a strong
On a yearly average, between five percent and twenty percent of the United States
population contract the flu (American Lung Association). The large range of the American
population getting influenza is most likely due to the effectiveness of the vaccine released in the
flu season and the new mutation or strain of the influenza virus in the flu season. The American
Lung Associated (ALA, n.d.) also reported that each year between 3,000 and 49,000 Americans
In the United States, because of the vaccines released every year for the influenza virus
and technology for treatment of influenza, it is difficult to believe that people die from the flu.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2015) estimated that about 3,697 die
every year due to influenza or 1.2 deaths per 100,000 population. However, the CDC (2015) also
reported that the exact number of deaths from the seasonal flu each year is unknown. There are a
few explanations for the unknown number of deaths from seasonal flu and the large range of
deaths provided by other organizations such as the American Lung Association. One reason is
that states are not required to report individual seasonal flu cases or deaths of people older than
18 years of age to the CDC (CDC, 2015). Another reason is that seasonal influenza is
infrequently listed on death certificates of people who die from flu-related complications (CDC,
2015). Many deaths from influenza most likely have been mistaken for death of one of the flus
The agent that causes influenza is a virus. There are three different types of influenza
viruses: A, B, and C. Influenza type A is the most severe out of the three and is divided into
subtypes based on two proteins on the surface of the virus (CDC, 2015; ALA, n.d.). Influenza
type B virus is less severe than type A virus, and is divided into lineages and strains rather than
subtypes like the Influenza type A virus (CDC, 2015). Vaccines for the type A and B virus are
produced each year for the flu season. Influenza type C virus infects a small amount of people
and is associated with mild cases of illness, thus, the seasonal flu vaccine does not protect against
the type C virus (CDC, 2015; ALA, n.d.). What makes the virus troubling is the fact that the
strain changes and mutates every year, thus, having the same result with a new vaccine for the
When one unfortunately contracts the flu, there will be many different signs and
symptoms. A sick person will experience high fever, aching muscles, headaches, coughing,
fatigue, sore throat, and nasal congestion (MayoClinic, 2015). An article from the World Health
Organization states that most people recover from fever and other symptoms with a week
without requiring medical attention (WHO, 2014). Symptoms will last longer and can cause
serious illness and death for some people at high risk. These high risk individuals include
pregnant women, children two years of age or younger, adults aged 65 years or older, people
The reason that children ages two and younger are at a higher risk for severe illness and
death from influenza is because childrens and infants immune system has not fully develop and
weak, therefore, will have difficulty fighting the influenza virus infection. The reason is similar
for the elderly population that seniors have a weak immune system, but the immune system is
weak because of wear-and-tear of the body. People with medical conditions such as heart
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disease, diabetes, cancer and HIV will also be more susceptible to serious symptoms and death
due to weakened immune systems from dealing with existing medical problems prior to
contracting influenza. Also, women in general have higher rates of influenza infection than men
Host factors are not the only factors that contribute to the vulnerability of the influenza
virus. There are also environmental and socioeconomic factors. A study that was done in
Tennessee by Sloan et al. (2015) reported that urban areas have higher rates of hospitalization
due to influenza than in rural areas. The population density of urban areas is much higher than in
rural areas, therefore, there would be more chance for contact and spread of the flu. Sloan et al.
(2015) also reported that families with a low socioeconomic status are more likely to stay in
crowded households and not go to hospitals for care. People with low income tend to live in
small households with many family members, thus, increasing contact and spread of the flu.
Also, people with low income are less likely to go to the hospital due to less resources to pay for
medical bills.
There are multiple ways of the virus entering a persons body. There is direct and indirect
contact, and airborne transmission. The World Health Organization (WHO, 2014) claims that
when an infected person coughs, infected droplets get into the air and another person can
breathe them in and be exposed. In addition, touching infected objects and infected person can
also spread the influenza virus. When a person have ingested the influenza virus and causes the
infection of the nose, throat, and lungs, then that person has the flu (U.S. Food and Drug
Administration, n.d.). A person that has been infected with the influenza virus, but does not show
any signs of symptoms, can still spread the flu (ALA, n.d.).
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With the several ways of the influenza virus entering and infecting a persons body, there
are also several ways to prevent the modes of transmission and many ways to treat the flu. To
prevent the disease from entering and infecting the body is to thoroughly wash hands, cover
mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing, avoiding large crowds during flu season to reduce
risk of contracting the influenza virus or spreading the virus (MayoClinic, 2015; WHO, 2014).
The most important preventive way to control the problem or spread of the influenza virus is to
get vaccinated each year. Getting vaccinated is especially important for high risk individuals and
people who live or in constant contact with high risk individuals. Although, vaccines are limited
to the effectiveness of the drug and the potency of the new strain of the influenza virus for that
season. When a person has the flu the most common treatment is to get adequate amount of sleep
and to stay hydrated (MayoClinic, 2015; ALA, n.d.). However, when that treatment is not
improving symptoms and the illness is serious, taking antiviral drugs is necessary. Antiviral
drugs is most important for people that are high risk individuals such as children ages two and
Knowing when the flu season starts is an important piece of information to prevent
getting the flu. The flu season is a flu epidemic that starts around October and ends by April with
the infection peaking between December and March every year (CDC, 2014). What makes each
flu season unique is that the influenza virus will always be a different strain from previous flu
seasons. The reason for the influenza virus changing each year is due to mutations from moving
between animals to humans or simply the virus changing over time (Flu.gov, 2014). These quick
changes happens too quick for humans immune system to recognize the virus, thus a new
There are a couple of hypotheses on the reason why the flu season happens in the winter.
One hypothesis is that in colder temperatures the flu virus envelope hardens to a gel that protects
the virus as it passes from person to person. But, at warmer temperatures the gel melts and
envelope is unable to protect the virus and loses its virulence (National Institute of Health, 2008).
Other hypotheses are that people spend more time indoors during winter which can increase
contact with others that might have the flu virus and that staying indoors mean less vitamin D
Not much is known and not much information is provided about the reason that the flu
epidemic season starts around winter in the United States. There are only hypotheses for the flu
to be more active in the winter than in the summer. Another gap in the knowledge of influenza is
the mutation of the influenza strain each year. The lack of knowledge to determine what the new
knowledge about influenza is to compare and contrast flu seasons in the United States with flu
seasons in other countries, and compare and contrast the influenza virus in different animals
throughout many years. Examining the similarities and differences with countries that have flu
seasons in the winter, and countries that have flu seasons in the summer can help determine the
reasons for the flu season to be in the winter in the United States. With this knowledge,
epidemiologists and researchers can hopefully find more preventive measures for the flu. Also,
examining the similarities and differences in the influenza virus in different animals for many
years can help determine whether the new strain is similar to a previous strain. Therefore;
creating a new vaccine for the new flu season should be more quick and efficient than previous
flu seasons.
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References
Foster, H. (2014). The Reason for the Season: Why flu strikes in winter. Retrieved April 11,
strikes-in-winter/
How the Flu Virus Changes. (2014). Retrieved April 11, 2016, from
http://www.flu.gov/about_the_flu/virus_changes/
diseases/lung-disease-lookup/influenza/
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs211/en/
Influenza (flu). (2015, September 29). Retrieved April 11, 2016, from
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/flu/basics/definition/con-20035101
NIH Scientists Offer Explanation for Winter Flu Season, March 2, 2008 News Release - National
Institutes of Health (NIH). (2008, March 2). Retrieved April 11, 2016, from
http://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-scientists-offer-explanation-winter-
flu-season
Seasonal Influenza: Flu Basics. (2015). Retrieved April 11, 2016, from
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/index.htm
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Sloan, C., Chandrasekhar, R., Mitchel, E. F., Schaffner, W., & Lindegren, M. L. (2015,
Tennessee, USA - Volume 21, Number 9-September 2015 - Emerging Infectious Disease journal
1861_article
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/season/flu-season.htm
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (n.d.). Retrieved April 11, 2016, from
http://www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/SafetyAvailability/VaccineSafety/UCM1102
88
Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report. (2016, April 08). Retrieved April 11, 2016, from
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/
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APPENDIX A
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/
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APPENDIX B
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/
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APPENDIX C
http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/21/9/14-1861_article
APPENDIX D
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http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/season/flu-season.htm
APPENDIX E
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/
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