FLU AND YOU

The flu is a respiratory (i.e., nose, throat, and lung) infection that is caused basically by influenza viruses. Many people use the word "flu" when they actually have a cold. Although the common cold is also caused by viruses, the flu and common cold differ in several ways. Influenza, or flu, is a respiratory illness caused by a virus. Flu is highly contagious and is normally spread by the coughs and sneezes of an infected person.

One can also catch flu by touching an infected person (Shaking hands). Adults are contagious 1-2 days before getting symptoms and up to 7 days after becoming ill. This means that you can spread the influenza virus before you even know you are infected.

One can recover from flu within 1 to 2 weeks, but some people are at risk of developing complications such as pneumonia.

CAUSES

Flu is contagious, which means it can easily spread from person to person. Viruses that cause flu spread from person to person mainly by droplets of respiratory fluids sent through the air when someone infected with the virus coughs or sneezes. Other people inhale the airborne virus and can become infected.

Flu virus can live on some surfaces for about 23-24 hours. This means that, in some cases, the flu can be spread when someone touches a surface (e.g., doorknobs, counter-tops, telephones, keyboards) that has the virus on it and then touches their nose, mouth, or eyes. The flu is most easily spread in crowded places such as schools and offices.

It takes 1 to 4 days to incubate in humans, but infected people can become contagious starting the day before symptoms appear. Adults remain infectious for about 6 days, and children remain infectious for up to 10 days.

SYMPTOMS

 Symptoms of flu include sore throat, fever, headache, muscle aches and soreness, congestion, and cough. Swine flu in particular is also associated with vomiting and diarrhea.

Initial flu symptoms include headaches, chills, and a cough. Symptoms such as fever, loss of appetite, and muscle aches soon follow. Other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are rare in adults but more common in children.

Since many people think they have the flu when it's actually a bad cold, here's a quick guide to help you tell the difference:

Symptom	Cold	Flu
Symptom onset	Gradual	abrupt
fever	Uncommon	usually present, high (38°C to 41°C or 102°F to 104°F); lasts 3 to 4 days
headache	Uncommon	very common
aches and pains	Slight	common and often severe
fatigue and weakness	Mild	significant; can last 2 to 3 weeks
extreme exhaustion	Never	very common at the start
stuffy nose	Common	sometimes
sneezing	Common	sometimes
sore throat	Common	sometimes
chest discomfort and cough	mild to moderate, hacking cough	common; often severe with painful cough

PREVENTION

1.    Avoid close contact.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too.

2.    Stay home when sick.
If possible, stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. This will help prevent spreading your illness to others.

3.    Cover your mouth and nose.
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick. Flu and other serious respiratory illnesses, like respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), whooping cough, and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), are spread by cough, sneezing, or unclean hands.

4.    Clean your hands.
Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.

TUBERCULOSIS (TB) AWARENESS

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by the bacterium mycobacterium tuberculosis. It is a serious infectious disease that mainly affects the lungs. This bacteria is spread from one person to another through tiny droplets released into the air via coughs and sneezes.

It used to be rare in developed countries, tuberculosis infections began increasing in 1985, partly because of the emergence of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. HIV weakens a person's immune system so it can't fight the TB germs.

Many strains of tuberculosis resist the drugs most used to treat the disease. People with active tuberculosis must take several types of medications for many months to eradicate the infection and prevent development of antibiotic resistance.

SYMPTOMS

Although your body may harbor the bacteria that cause tuberculosis, your immune system usually can prevent you from becoming sick. For this reason, doctors make a distinction between:

·         Latent TB. In this condition, one has a TB infection, but the bacteria remain in the body in an inactive state and cause no symptoms. Latent TB, also called inactive TB is not contagious. It can turn into active TB, so treatment is important for the person with latent TB and to help control the spread of TB.

·         Active TB. This is the infectious TB, it shows signs and can spread to others. It can occur in the first few weeks after infection with the TB bacteria, or it might occur years later.

Signs and symptoms of active TB include:

·         Coughing that lasts three or more weeks

·         Coughing up blood

·         Chest pain, or pain with breathing or coughing

·         Unintentional weight loss

·         Fatigue

·         Fever

·         Night sweats

·         Chills

·         Loss of appetite

Tuberculosis can also affect other parts of the body. Tuberculosis can affect the kidney, spine and brain. When TB occurs outside the lungs, signs and symptoms vary according to the organs involved. For example, tuberculosis of the spine may give you back pain, and tuberculosis in your kidneys might cause blood in your urine.

CAUSES

Tuberculosis is caused by bacteria that spread from person to person through microscopic droplets released into the air. This can happen when someone with the untreated, active form of tuberculosis coughs, speaks, sneezes, spits, laughs or sings.

Although tuberculosis is contagious, it is not easy to catch. You are much more likely to get tuberculosis from someone you live with or work with than from a stranger. Most people with active TB who have had appropriate drug treatment for at least two weeks are no longer contagious

HIV AND TB

Due to the emergence of HIV, cases of tuberculosis increased dramatically. Infection with HIV suppresses the immune system, making it difficult for the body to fight TB bacteria. As a result, people living with HIV are many times more likely to get TB and to progress from latent to active disease.

RISK FACTORS

Anyone can get tuberculosis, but certain factors can increase your risk of the disease. These factors include:

Weakened immune system

A healthy immune system often successfully fights TB bacteria, but a weak immune system won’t be able to fight germs and bacteria. A number of diseases and medications can weaken your immune system, including:

·         HIV/AIDS

·         Diabetes

·         Severe kidney disease

·         Certain cancers

·         Cancer treatment, such as chemotherapy

·         Drugs to prevent rejection of transplanted organs

·         Some drugs used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease and psoriasis

·         Malnutrition

PREVENTION

If you test positive for latent TB infection, your doctor may advise you to take medications to reduce your risk of developing active tuberculosis. The only type of tuberculosis that is contagious is the active variety, when it affects the lungs. So if you can prevent your latent tuberculosis from becoming active, you won't transmit tuberculosis to anyone else.

Vaccinations

In countries where tuberculosis is more common, infants often are vaccinated with bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine because it can prevent severe tuberculosis in children.