The Cold & Flu Viruses - masters of disguise
There are over 60 million Cold cases requiring medical help per year (US)----(85%
are in children under 17)
Approximately 22 million days of school are lost due to the Common Cold.
The Flu affects 20-50% of the U.S. population each winter.
Facts
- The Common Cold is caused by 110 distinct rhinovirus strains and several
Coronavirus strains, among others. Unfortunately, it is next to impossible
to create a vaccine that will work against all 200+ types of cold virus.
- There is a vaccine against the Influenza virus, but the vaccine changes
each year (to keep up with the ever-changing Influenza virus) and it is recommended
mostly for people in high-risk groups. In order to prepare the vaccine each
year, the medical community has to make an educated guess as to which strain
will appear during the next flu season...and if the vaccine doesn't match
it will probably not work very well.
- There are 2 types of vaccine: trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (TIV),
which is for children under 5 or in one of the high-risk groups mentioned
below and live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV)
is used in healthy people ages 5 to 49 years old.
Did you know?...
- HAND WASHING is one of the few effective ways to reducing your chances of
getting a cold. Antibiotics are USELESS against viruses (they only cure bacterial
infections)...so antibacterial soaps
are NOT needed.
- Cold weather has little or no effect on the development or severity of a
cold...nor does exercise, diet, enlarged tonsils or adenoids. But colds happen
more often during cold weather months because people are indoors more often.
Closer contact indoors means the virus can jump around more easily from person
to person. Factors that MAY make you more susceptible to colds include: stress,
allergic disorders affecting the nose or throat, and menstrual cycles.
- Influenza viruses are expert "mutators"...this means that they can rapidly
change their protein coat (the same way a quick-change artist changes their
costumes) so that your immune system has a hard time recognizing them.
- There is a vaccine against the Influenza virus, but the vaccine changes
each year (to keep up with the ever-changing Influenza virus) and it is recommended
for people in high-risk groups: asthma, cystic fibrosis, cardiac disease,
immunosuppressive disorders (HIV infection included), sickle cell anemia,
rheumatoid arthritis, Kawasaki disease, conditions requiring long-term aspirin
therapy; chronic renal dysfunction or chronic metabolic diseases such as diabetes.
- American health authorities are now recommending that all
children between 6 and 24 months of age be vaccinated against
the flu Article
1 / Article
2...but I still think each parent should decide whether they feel this
is necessary for their child. Every child is different and many factors come
into play in terms of susceptibility to viral infections. If in doubt, it
is good to discuss this with your doctor/pediatrician. Article 2 briefly discusses
the upcoming 2004-5 flu vaccine.
News....
Info on Avian
"Bird" Flu Outbreak - 2004 - as of Jan 29: 11 cases (mostly in children),
8 of these cases have proven fatal
Avian
"Bird" Flu - Nature Articles
Article
from Nature concerning possible pandemic (world-wide spread of
disease) in humans
Avian
Flu Vaccine Efforts - "Scientists are just weeks away from designing
a human vaccine against the Asian bird flu that has killed 22 people" WHO
experts (March 2004)
Drinking lots of fluids during a cold is not supported by medical evidence
and can actually cause harm. (Review in Feb. 28 issue (328:499-500) British
Medical Journal)
Influenza-Associated
Deaths reported among children aged less than 18 years --- U.S. 2003-04
Flu Season
CDC
Request for Information About Acute Encephalopathy Cases in Children with
Influenza (they are conducting a study in the U.S. based on findings in Japan)
News:
Influenza Activity --- United States and Worldwide, 2002--03 Season, and Composition
of the 2003--04 Influenza Vaccine
News:
Influenza Outbreak --- Madagascar, July--August 2002
Views....
Any personal experiences and comments
welcome....
Too many viruses, too few "cures" for the common cold. Article.
The cold-adapted, intranasal influenza vaccine (CAIV) (FluMist, MedImmune
and Wyeth) Article.
THINK PREVENTION, then treatment for influenza. Article.
No
harm, no benefit of echinacea (an herbal remedy) in treating upper respiratory
infections in children.
Centers for Disease Control: "Parents
guide to childhood immunization"
Bibliography
© 2004 - BiologyMom