The cold and flu season is here!

The cold and flu season is here! Each year, between 5% and 20% of the U.S. population gets sick with the flu. Stay informed about the latest flu activity around the country, and learn important facts, symptoms, treatment, and prevention of the common cold and the flu here:

What is influenza (flu)?

The flu is a contagious respiratory disease caused by influenza viruses, and affects people of all ages. While certain groups (people age 65 and older, young children, and people with chronic medical conditions) are more susceptible to complications from the disease, the flu comes on suddenly and affects a significant portion of the United States. Some flu facts are:

5% to 20% of US population gets the flu each year.
More than 200,000 people are hospitalized.
On average, each year 36,000 people die from complications of the disease.

How is the flu spread?

nfluenza is a contagious disease most commonly spread from person to person via coughs and sneezes. This happens when an infected person coughs or sneezes, passing the virus through the air to a nearby person’s nose or mouth. The virus is also contracted when a healthy person touches his/her mouth or nose after touching an infected surface or object.

Adults who are infected with the virus are contagious and can spread the disease from one day before their flu symptoms develop and up to five days after they become sick. Children may be contagious for more than seven days. As the disease has an incubation period of one to four days, many people pass the virus without knowing he/she is sick.

Does the flu have complications?

There are complications that stem from the flu. Some of these complications include: bacterial pneumonia, dehydration, and aggravation of existing chronic medical conditions (e.g. congestive heart failure, asthma, and diabetes). Children are susceptible to sinus problems and/or ear infections as a result of the flu. Individuals over age 65 and people with chronic medical conditions have the highest risk for complications.

Flu Outbreak Update

Widespread Flu Covers All But 2 States
UPDATED November 6, 2009
UPDATED By WeatherBug Meteorologist, Dustin Devine
It`s just 6 weeks into the official influenza season and widespread reports of influenza continues to cover nearly the entire U.S. Conditions will only get worse as the temperatures continue to fall this autumn.


More than 99 percent of influenza cases reported to the government`s Centers for Disease Control are H1N1 viruses, also commonly referred to as the "swine flu."


For the second week in a row, 48 of the 50 states are reporting widespread influenza activity.


Regional influenza activity was noted in Mississippi and Hawaii.


Meanwhile, local activity was reported in the District of Columbia, with sporadic activity in Puerto Rico and Guam.


The CDC recommends that high risk groups, which include the elderly and children less than 23 months of age, get vaccinated on a yearly basis.


In addition to vaccines, there are other things that can be done to minimize your risk for contracting the flu:


Avoid close contact with those who are sick.
Avoid exposing others when you are sick. Stay home from work or school if you are exhibiting symptoms.
Cover your mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing.
Wash your hands frequently.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.

What are the symptoms of the flu?

The flu often comes on suddenly, and may include the following symptoms:
Fever
Headache
Fatigue
Cough
Sore throat
Runny or stuffy nose
Body aches
Stomach ailments (nausea and diarrhea), more common in children than adults
Having some of these flu symptoms does not necessarily mean you have been infected with the flu, as these can also be related to other illnesses.

How do I know if I have the flu?

To protect your children from getting influenza, teach them to:

Cover their nose and mouth when coughing and/or sneezing. If a tissue is used, it should be thrown away.
Wash their hands often with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing into them.
Keep hands away from their eyes, nose, and mouth to prevent the spread of germs.

The best method of flu prevention is to have your children get the flu vaccine.

If your child (including teenagers) has flu-like symptoms, do not give him/her aspirin to treat those symptoms (especially a fever), as influenza and aspirin can be associated with a a rare but serious disease, Reye syndrome. Children with the flu should get lots of rest, drink plenty of fluids, and take medicines that do not contain aspirin.

How should I treat the flu?

If you get the flu, you should get plenty of rest, drink lots of fluids, avoid the use of tobacco and alcohol, and take medications to treat your symptoms.

Doctors can prescribe antiviral drugs to help treat the disease.

Courtesy: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention