INFLUENZA

• Mary Stephanie V. Jose

 INFLUENZA
• Italian: influenza, meaning "influence", (
Latin: influentia). "influence of the cold".
• Commonly called “the flu”
• It is a highly contagious viral
infection of the respiratory tract that
can be caused by a variety of
viruses.
• Source: Discharges from the mouth
and nose of infected person.
Influenza
Virus
• The influenza virus spreads easily from
person to person, mainly when an infected
person coughs or sneezes.

• Viruses that infect the nose, throat, and

lungs cause influenza
 types of Influenza Virus

• Influenzavirus A

• Influenzavirus B

• Influenzavirus C
 Influenza A virus
(H5N1) virus
• Wild aquatic birds are the natural
hosts for a large variety of influenza
A

• The type A viruses are the most

virulent human pathogens among
the three influenza types and cause
the most severe disease.
 Influenza B virus
• Influenza B almost exclusively infects
humans and is less common than
influenza A.

• Lower than type A

• and consequently is less genetically

diverse, with only one influenza B serotype
 Influenza C virus
• Commonly infects humans and pigs
and can cause severe illness and
local epidemics

• Less common than the other types

and usually seems to cause mild
disease in children

• does not spark epidemics.

 Mode of transmission
• Direct contact
• Droplet infection
• Articles freshly soiled with
discharge of the nose and
throat of the infected
person
• airborne
 What are flu symptoms?
• fever
• chills
• respiratory symptoms
such as
• dry coug h
• sore throat
• runny or s tuf fy
nose
• headache
• muscle aches
•• extreme
Nausea, vomiting
fatigueand diarrhea can sometimes
accompany influenza infection, especially in children.
Is there treatment for influenza?
• People with the flu are
advised to get plenty of rest,
drink plenty of liquids, avoid
using alcohol and tobacco
and, if necessary, take
medications such as
paracetamol (acetaminophen)
to relieve the fever and
muscle aches associated with
the flu.

• avoid taking aspirin during an

influenza infection (it may
cause fatal disease of the
liver)

• influenza is caused by a virus,

antibiotics have no effect on
the infection.
 How to prevent Influenza?
• Education of the public as to
sanitary hazard from spitting
sneezing and coughing.

• Avoid use of common towels,

glasses and eating utensils.
How to prevent Influenza?
• Vaccination *** made from inactivated (killed)
flu viruses, which cannot cause
infection.

 It reduces the average

person's chances of
catching the flu by up to
80%

 the flu shot contains killed

flu viruses that will not
cause the flu, but will
prepare the body to fight off
infection by the live flu virus.
 Types of the Influenza Vaccine

Flu vaccines are available as a shot or nasal mist.

• intramuscular (IM)
injection influenza
vaccine
 Types of the Influenza Vaccine

• Nasal Mist (FluMist®)

 When Should I Get the
Influenza Vaccine?
 The influenza vaccine is a yearly
vaccination

 the viruses that cause the disease change every year.

 influenza viral genes continually change

 Another reason is that antibody produced by the host

in response to the vaccine declines over time, and
antibody levels are often low one year after
vaccination.
 Public Health Nursing
responsibilities
• Isolate patient during acute
stage.
• Report the case to local Health
Officer immediately
• Instruct patient to go to bed in the
beginning of the attack and not to
report to work w/o the approval of
the physician.
 Nursing Care
• Keep patient warm
• Keep patient away from persons suffering
from respiratory tract infection to prevent
pneumonia.
• Teach and demonstrate proper sneezing
and cough technique
• Clothing soiled with throat and nose
discharge should be boiled 30 mins.
Before laundry
Influenza/Flu vs. Common cold