Understanding Flu!!

Influenza is a viral infection of the respiratory tract, which commonly also called as Flu. Influenza virus A, B and C are the main agents that cause influenza. These influenza viruses are difficult to fight with since these keep changing their subtypes after every flu season, post the exposure to the medications and vaccinations during the season.

Flu season is an annually recurring time period characterized by the prevalence of outbreaks of influenza or the flu. The season occurs during the cold half of the year, whose duration is variable; it may vary where between 6 months to 3 weeks. During the cold months the incidence of flu increases tenfold.

Each annual flu season is normally associated with a major influenza virus subtype. The associated subtype changes each year, due to development of immunological resistance to a previous year's strain through exposure and vaccinations, and mutational changes in previously dormant viruses’ strains. A prior infection or vaccination does not guarantee, immunity to the flu strain prevailing during the particular outbreak. 

There are certain groups of people who are more prone to flu, this includes; Children under 5 year of age, the elderly most above 65 years, those suffering from chronic debilitating diseases such as heart diseases, kidney diseases, asthma and diabetes mellitus; people with weakened immune systems, pregnant woman and up to weeks of the post-partum period, and people with high body mass indices, i.e., over 40. 

-Koya Satyasri