Also called: Also called: Grippe, Influenza
Flu is a respiratory infection caused by a number of viruses. The viruses pass through the air and enter your body through your nose or mouth. Between 5% and 20% of people in the U.S. get the flu each year. The flu can be serious or even deadly for elderly people, newborn babies and people with certain chronic illnesses.
Symptoms of the flu come on suddenly and are worse than those of the common cold. They may include
- Body or muscle aches
- Chills
- Cough
- Fever
- Headache
- Sore throat
Is it a cold or the flu? Colds rarely cause a fever or headaches. Flu almost never causes an upset stomach. And "stomach flu" isn't really flu at all, but gastroenteritis.
The main way to keep from getting the flu is to get a yearly flu vaccine. If you get the flu, your health care provider may prescribe medicine to help your body fight the infection and lessen symptoms.
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
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Flu (Influenza)
(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) - http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/Flu/understandingFlu/DefinitionsOverview.htm
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Influenza
(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/influenza/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/influenzaspanish/htm/index.htm - Key Facts about Seasonal Influenza (Flu)(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/flu/keyfacts.htm
- Cold and Flu Guidelines: Influenza (Flu)(American Lung Association) - http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=35868
- Flu(Food and Drug Administration) - http://www.fda.gov/womens/getthefacts/flu.html
- Influenza (Flu)(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/influenza/DS00081/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
- Seasonal Flu(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/flu/
- Obstetricians Urge Pregnant Women to Get Flu Shots(09/30/2008, Reuters Health) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_69850.html
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Vaccines Stand Ready for Flu Season(09/26/2008, Food and Drug Administration) - http://www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/influenzavaccine102307.html
- Many U.S. Kids Not Receiving Flu Vaccine(09/25/2008, Reuters Health) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_69707.html
- Flu Vaccine Should Be More Effective(09/24/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_69678.html
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Flu Season Is Here: Learn How to Protect Yourself and Your Loved Ones(08/22/2008, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/Features/FLU/
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Bacterial Pneumonia Caused Most Deaths in 1918 Influenza Pandemic: Implications for Future Pandemic Planning(08/19/2008, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) - http://www.nih.gov/news/health/aug2008/niaid-19.htm
- FDA Approves 2008-2009 Flu Vaccines(08/05/2008, Food and Drug Administration) - http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2008/NEW01872.html
- More News on Flu http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/alphanews_f.html#flu
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Is It a Cold or the Flu?(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) - Links to PDF - http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/Flu/PDF/sick.pdf
Also available in Spanish http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/Flu/PDF/sick_spanish.pdf
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Decongestants: OTC Relief for Congestion(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/otc-center/otc-medicines/859.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/otc-center/otc-medicines/859.printerview.html
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Flu Treatment(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) - http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/Flu/understandingFlu/Treatment.htm
- Snort, Sniffle, Sneeze: No Antibiotics, Please(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/community/know-and-do.htm
- Treatment and Prevention: Influenza Antiviral Drugs(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/antiviral/
- Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for an Influenza Pandemic(Occupational Safety and Health Administration) - Large PDF file - http://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3327pandemic.pdf
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Inactivated Influenza Vaccine 2008-2009(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - Links to PDF - http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-flu.pdf
Also available in Spanish http://www.immunize.org/vis/spflu06.pdf
- Is the Flu Vaccine a Good Idea for Your Family?(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/body/flu_vaccine.html
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Live, Intranasal Influenza Vaccine 2008-2009(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - Links to PDF - http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-flulive.pdf
Also available in Spanish http://www.immunize.org/vis/spliveflu06.pdf
- Pandemic Influenza Preparedness and Response Guidance for Healthcare Workers and Healthcare Employers(Occupational Safety and Health Administration) - Large PDF file - http://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA_pandemic_health.pdf
- Personal Protective Equipment and Influenza Outbreaks, Including Bird Flu (Avian Influenza)(Food and Drug Administration) - http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/ppe/fluoutbreaks.html
- Preventing Seasonal Flu(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/preventing.htm
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Preventing the Flu(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/healthy/vaccines/477.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/healthy/vaccines/477.printerview.html
- Selecting the Viruses in the Influenza (Flu) Vaccine(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/vaccination/virusqa.htm
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Echinacea(National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine) - http://nccam.nih.gov/health/echinacea/
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European Elder(National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine) - http://nccam.nih.gov/health/euroelder/
- Asthma: Limit Asthma Attacks Caused by Colds or Flu(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/asthma/AS00024/METHOD=print
- Cold and Flu Guidelines: Myths and Facts(American Lung Association) - http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=35869
- Flu Shots: Important If You Have Heart Disease(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/flu-shots/HB00086/METHOD=print
- Flu Vaccine and Egg Allergy(American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology) - http://www.medem.com/medlb/article_detaillb.cfm?article_ID=ZZZGWEO46OE&sub_cat=276
- HIV/AIDS and the Flu(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/hiv-flu.htm
- Pandemic Flu(Dept. of Health and Human Services) - http://pandemicflu.gov/
- Questions & Answers: Seasonal Flu and Other Respiratory Viruses(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/other.htm
- Questions & Answers: Thimerosal in Seasonal Influenza Vaccine(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/thimerosal.htm
- Seasonal Flu and Staph Infection(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/flustaph.htm
- Smoking and Influenza(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/smoking.htm
- Transmission of Influenza A Viruses between Animals and People(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/gen-info/transmission.htm
- What You Should Know about Using Facemasks and Respirators during a Flu Pandemic(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/Features/MasksRespirators/
- Influenza Photos(Immunization Action Coalition) - http://www.vaccineinformation.org/flu/photos.asp
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Influenza(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/influenza/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/influenzaspanish/htm/index.htm
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Influenza, Human(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Influenza,+Human%22
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Prevention and control of influenza: recommendations of the Advisory Committee... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18685555&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Influenza. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18679129&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Clinical data on Fluarix: an inactivated split seasonal influenza vaccine. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18665769&tool=MedlinePlus
- Flu -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=(influenza,human[majr]+OR+influenza+vaccines[majr])+NOT+influenza+a+virus,h5n1+subtype[majr]+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+(patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+jsubsetn[text]+OR+jsubsetk[text])+AND+united+states[mh]+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Flu Clinic Locator(American Lung Association) - http://www.flucliniclocator.org/
- American Lung Association - http://www.lungusa.org/
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - http://www.cdc.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://www.cdc.gov/spanish/
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National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/
- FASTATS: Influenza(National Center for Health Statistics) - http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/flu.htm
- Flu Activity(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/fluactivity.htm
- Influenza(American Lung Association) - http://www.lungusa.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=2060161&content_id={FCF44717-3F12-400E-A34B-0EA3B7F89EDE}¬oc=1
- Children and the Flu Vaccine(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/children.htm
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Flu(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/ill_injure/sick/flu.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/kid/en_espanol/comunes/flu_esp.html
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Influenza (Flu)(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/bacterial_viral/flu.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/infecciones/flu_esp.html
- Tips for Treating the Flu(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/common/tips_take_care.html
- Who Needs a Flu Shot?(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/ill_injure/sick/flu_shot.html
- Flu Facts(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/infections/bacterial_viral/flu.html
- Flu Shot in Pregnancy: Is It Safe?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/influenza/AN00651/METHOD=print
- Flu Information(Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) - http://www.medicare.gov/health/flu.asp
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Flu—Get the Shot(National Institute on Aging) - http://www.nia.nih.gov/HealthInformation/Publications/flu.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nia.nih.gov/Espanol/Publicaciones/gripe.htm
- Bird Flu - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/birdflu.html
- Common Cold - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/commoncold.html
- Viral Infections - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/viralinfections.html
- Infections - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/infections.html
- Lungs and Breathing - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/lungsandbreathing.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Flu is the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - http://www.niaid.nih.gov/
Flu - Multiple Languages - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/languages/flu.html