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Everyone equates the flu with the puking, fever, crappy thing that we all get once in a while.
From the CDC: Influenza viruses are spread from person to person primarily through the coughing and sneezing of infected persons. The typical incubation period for influenza is 1–4 days, with an average of 2 days. Adults can be infectious from the day before symptoms begin through approximately 5 days after illness onset. Children can be infectious for > 10 days, and young children can shed virus for several days before their illness onset. Severely immunocompromised persons can shed virus for weeks or months.
Uncomplicated influenza illness is characterized by the abrupt onset of constitutional and respiratory signs and symptoms (e.g., fever, myalgia, headache, malaise, nonproductive cough, sore throat, and rhinitis). Among children, otitis media, nausea, and vomiting are also commonly reported with influenza illness.
and:
The risks for complications, hospitalizations, and deaths from influenza are higher among persons aged > 65 years, young children, and persons of any age with certain underlying health conditions (see Persons at Increased Risk for Complications) than among healthy older children and younger adults). Estimated rates of influenza-associated hospitalizations have varied substantially by age group in studies conducted during different influenza epidemics (Table 1).
Among children aged 0–4 years, hospitalization rates have ranged from approximately 500/100,000 children for those with high-risk medical conditions to 100/100,000 children for those without high-risk medical conditions. Within the 0–4 year age group, hospitalization rates are highest among children aged 0–1 years and are comparable to rates reported among persons aged > 65 years (Table 1).
During influenza epidemics from 1979–80 through 2000–01, the estimated overall number of influenza-associated hospitalizations in the United States ranged from approximately 54,000 to 430,000/epidemic. An average of approximately 226,000 influenza-related excess hospitalizations occurred per year, with 63% of all hospitalizations occurring among persons aged > 65 years. Since the 1968 influenza A (H3N2) virus pandemic, the greatest numbers of influenza-associated hospitalizations have occurred during epidemics caused by type A (H3N2) viruses.
Influenza-related deaths can result from pneumonia and from exacerbations of cardiopulmonary conditions and other chronic diseases. Deaths of older adults account for > 90% of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza. In one study of influenza epidemics, approximately 19,000 influenza-associated pulmonary and circulatory deaths per influenza season occurred during 1976–1990, compared with approximately 36,000 deaths during 1990--1999. Estimated rates of influenza-associated pulmonary and circulatory deaths/100,000 persons were 0.4--0.6 among persons aged 0–49 years, 7.5 among persons aged 50--64 years, and 98.3 among persons aged > 65 years. In the United States, the number of influenza-associated deaths might be increasing in part because the number of older persons is increasing. In addition, influenza seasons in which influenza A (H3N2) viruses predominate are associated with higher mortality; influenza A (H3N2) viruses predominated in 90% of influenza seasons during 1990–1999, compared with 57% of seasons during 1976–1990.
Deaths from influenza are uncommon among both children with and without high-risk conditions, but do occur). A study that modeled influenza-related deaths estimated that an average of 92 deaths (0.4 deaths per 100,000) occurred among children aged <5 years annually during the 1990's, compared with 32,651 deaths (98.3 per 100,000) among adults aged > 65 years. Reports of 153 laboratory-confirmed influenza-related pediatric deaths from 40 states during the 2003–04 influenza season indicated that 61 (40%) were aged <2 years and, of 92 children aged 2–17 years, 64 (70%) did not have an underlying medical condition traditionally considered to place a person at risk for influenza-related complications (CDC, National Center for Infectious Diseases, unpublished data, 2005). Further information is needed regarding the risk for severe influenza-complications and optimal strategies for minimizing severe disease and death among children.
Everyone equates the flu with the puking, fever, crappy thing that we all get once in a while.
From the CDC: Influenza viruses are spread from person to person primarily through the coughing and sneezing of infected persons. The typical incubation period for influenza is 1–4 days, with an average of 2 days. Adults can be infectious from the day before symptoms begin through approximately 5 days after illness onset. Children can be infectious for > 10 days, and young children can shed virus for several days before their illness onset. Severely immunocompromised persons can shed virus for weeks or months.
Uncomplicated influenza illness is characterized by the abrupt onset of constitutional and respiratory signs and symptoms (e.g., fever, myalgia, headache, malaise, nonproductive cough, sore throat, and rhinitis). Among children, otitis media, nausea, and vomiting are also commonly reported with influenza illness.
and:
The risks for complications, hospitalizations, and deaths from influenza are higher among persons aged > 65 years, young children, and persons of any age with certain underlying health conditions (see Persons at Increased Risk for Complications) than among healthy older children and younger adults). Estimated rates of influenza-associated hospitalizations have varied substantially by age group in studies conducted during different influenza epidemics (Table 1).
Among children aged 0–4 years, hospitalization rates have ranged from approximately 500/100,000 children for those with high-risk medical conditions to 100/100,000 children for those without high-risk medical conditions. Within the 0–4 year age group, hospitalization rates are highest among children aged 0–1 years and are comparable to rates reported among persons aged > 65 years (Table 1).
During influenza epidemics from 1979–80 through 2000–01, the estimated overall number of influenza-associated hospitalizations in the United States ranged from approximately 54,000 to 430,000/epidemic. An average of approximately 226,000 influenza-related excess hospitalizations occurred per year, with 63% of all hospitalizations occurring among persons aged > 65 years. Since the 1968 influenza A (H3N2) virus pandemic, the greatest numbers of influenza-associated hospitalizations have occurred during epidemics caused by type A (H3N2) viruses.
Influenza-related deaths can result from pneumonia and from exacerbations of cardiopulmonary conditions and other chronic diseases. Deaths of older adults account for > 90% of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza. In one study of influenza epidemics, approximately 19,000 influenza-associated pulmonary and circulatory deaths per influenza season occurred during 1976–1990, compared with approximately 36,000 deaths during 1990--1999. Estimated rates of influenza-associated pulmonary and circulatory deaths/100,000 persons were 0.4--0.6 among persons aged 0–49 years, 7.5 among persons aged 50--64 years, and 98.3 among persons aged > 65 years. In the United States, the number of influenza-associated deaths might be increasing in part because the number of older persons is increasing. In addition, influenza seasons in which influenza A (H3N2) viruses predominate are associated with higher mortality; influenza A (H3N2) viruses predominated in 90% of influenza seasons during 1990–1999, compared with 57% of seasons during 1976–1990.
Deaths from influenza are uncommon among both children with and without high-risk conditions, but do occur). A study that modeled influenza-related deaths estimated that an average of 92 deaths (0.4 deaths per 100,000) occurred among children aged <5 years annually during the 1990's, compared with 32,651 deaths (98.3 per 100,000) among adults aged > 65 years. Reports of 153 laboratory-confirmed influenza-related pediatric deaths from 40 states during the 2003–04 influenza season indicated that 61 (40%) were aged <2 years and, of 92 children aged 2–17 years, 64 (70%) did not have an underlying medical condition traditionally considered to place a person at risk for influenza-related complications (CDC, National Center for Infectious Diseases, unpublished data, 2005). Further information is needed regarding the risk for severe influenza-complications and optimal strategies for minimizing severe disease and death among children.
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