Unlike the common cold, Seasonal Influenza (“Flu”) is a serious respiratory illness that can be life-threatening.

Symptoms of Seasonal Influenza include:

• Fever
• Headache
• Extreme tiredness
• Dry cough
• Sore throat
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Muscle aches

Stomach symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, can occur, but they are more common in children than in adults. (There is actually no such thing as “stomach flu.” What people refer to as stomach flu is usually viral gastroenteritis.)

In some people, the flu can cause serious complications, including bacterial pneumonia, dehydration, and worsening of chronic medical conditions, such as congestive heart failure, asthma, or diabetes. Children and adults may develop sinus problems and ear infections.

The Flu usually spreads from person to person in respiratory droplets when people who are infected cough or sneeze. People occasionally may become infected by touching something with Influenza virus on it and then touching their mouth, nose, or eyes.

Healthy adults may be able to infect others 1 day before getting symptoms and up to 5 days after getting sick. Therefore, it is possible to give someone the Flu before you know you are sick as well as while you are sick.

Seasonal flu is a common illness that occurs every year, usually in the winter. Healthy people usually aren't at risk from complications of Seasonal Flu but young children, elderly people, and people with weak immune systems may develop complications. About 36,000 people die each year of complications associated with Seasonal Flu . Vaccines to protect people from Seasonal Flu are developed each year, and the illness usually has a manageable impact on society. Health systems, such as doctor's offices, urgent care centers, emergency rooms, and hospitals, can usually meet patients' needs in the case of Seasonal Flu .

In April 2009, the world experienced the outbreak of Novel H1N1 and it has since spread across the world.  This phenomenon has created a pandemic; We are currently in the 1st of the 3 waves of the pandemic cycle and thus far have only experienced fairly mild illness.  This may change with the 2nd wave of this pandemic.

 

In the past century, the world has experienced three (3) outbreaks of Pandemic Flu with the last occuring in 1968.  In the case of a Pandemic Flu outbreak, even healthy people are at risk of developing complications. The number of deaths from a pandemic can be very high; in 1918, a pandemic caused 675,000 deaths in the United States.

 

As we have experienced recently with the Novel H1N1 2009, even a mild pandemic can have a major impact on society; travel may be restricted, schools and businesses may close, and large gatherings might be cancelled.   We are anticipating that the 2nd wave, historically the most powerful of the 3 waves of illness, to occur in the Fall.  This is the same time our annual Seasonal Flu season begins and with our children returning to school in late summer, we are preparing to see a rise in Novel H1N1 cases once school resumes.

 

The Federal Government is taking these preparedness efforts seriously and has provided additional information and preparedness tools for you to follow their efforts. 

 

We are all in this together and together we can Stop the Spread!  Your Local Health Department - like much of the world - has also been preparing for these events.  To read more about what we are doing in Maricopa County, please click here and consider following our communication with you on Twitter at www.twitter.com\Maricopahealth