Flu

Already cursed by floods and suicide bombings, Pakistan now faces a new menace from an unprecedented outbreak of the deadly tropical disease dengue fever.

Overview

Flu (or influenza) is caused by the influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat, sinuses, upper airways and lungs. Flu spreads easily from person to person through droplet distribution when an infected person coughs or sneezes or, quite commonly, through hand-to-hand contact. The onset of flu is usually very sudden; symptoms include a sudden onset of fever and chills, aching muscles, a dry cough, headache, fatigue and sometimes a sore throat or runny nose. Over-the-counter drugs treat symptoms of flu, but not the cause. It will not cure flu, but will relief some symptoms. Flu can, however, be life threatening in older people, babies, toddlers and in people of any age who have chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart, lung, or kidney disease, or a compromised immune system. Those who are at most risk of flu should do all they can to prevent and avoid flu and if complications develop they should be treated as soon as possible. The influenza vaccine is the most important way to either avoid influenza altogether, or to reduce its severity.