MUCH MORE INFORMATION ON FLU & URL FOR INFO ON THIS PAGE at the National Institutes of Health MedlinePlus: www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/flu.html

FLU: 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
Start Here

    * NewFlu (Influenza)From the National Institutes of Health(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) - http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/Flu/understandingFlu/DefinitionsOverview.htm
    * InfluenzaInteractive Tutorial(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

Overviews

    * 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/

Latest News

    * FDA OKs Flu Vaccines for 2008-09 Season(08/05/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_67807.html
    * NewFDA Approves 2008-2009 Flu Vaccines(08/05/2008, Food and Drug Administration) - http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2008/NEW01872.html
    * Flu Vaccine Doesn't Protect Seniors from Pneumonia(08/02/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_67627.html
    * Smokers Struck by Influenza Face Higher Mortality Rates(07/24/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_67343.html
    * Report Offers Resources for Home Health Care Response during a Flu Pandemic(07/08/2008, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) - http://www.ahrq.gov/news/press/pr2008/hhcflupr.htm
    * More News on Flu http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/alphanews_f.html#flu

Diagnosis/Symptoms

    * Is It a Cold or the Flu?From the National Institutes of Health(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

Treatment

    * 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
    * Flu TreatmentFrom the National Institutes of Health(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/

Prevention/Screening

    * Flu Shot: Your Best Shot for Avoiding Influenza(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/flu-shots/ID00017/METHOD=print
    * Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for an Influenza Pandemic(Occupational Safety and Health Administration) - Large PDF file - http://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3327pandemic.pdf
    * Inactivated Influenza Vaccine 2007-2008(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
    * Live, Intranasal Influenza Vaccine 2007-2008(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
    * Preventing Seasonal Flu(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/preventing.htm
    * Selecting the Viruses in the Influenza (Flu) Vaccine(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/vaccination/virusqa.htm

Related Issues

    * 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/

Pictures & Photographs

    * Influenza Photos(Immunization Action Coalition) - http://www.vaccineinformation.org/flu/photos.asp

Tutorials

    * 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

Videos

    * Inactivated Influenza Vaccine 2007-2008Easy-to-Read(Healthy Roads Media, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.healthyroadsmedia.org/english/Files/flv/engflu.htm
      Also available in Spanish http://www.healthyroadsmedia.org/spanish/Files/flv/spaflu.htm

Clinical Trials

    * ClinicalTrials.gov: Influenza, Human(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Influenza,+Human%22

Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

    * Article: Virtual epidemic in a virtual city: simulating the spread of... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18514138&tool=MedlinePlus
    * Article: Project VIVA: a multilevel community-based intervention to increase influenza vaccination... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18511725&tool=MedlinePlus
    * Article: Pandemic flu update. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18491813&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

Directories

    * Flu Clinic Locator(American Lung Association) - http://www.flucliniclocator.org/

Organizations

    * American Lung Association - http://www.lungusa.org/
    * Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - http://www.cdc.gov/
      Also available in Spanish http://www.cdc.gov/spanish/
    * National Institute of Allergy and Infectious DiseasesFrom the National Institutes of Health - http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/

Statistics

    * 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}&notoc=1

Children

    * Children and the Flu Vaccine(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/children.htm
    * Flu(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/ill_injure/sick/flu.html
    * 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

Teenagers

    * Flu Facts(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/infections/bacterial_viral/flu.html

Women

    * Flu Shot in Pregnancy: Is It Safe?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/influenza/AN00651/METHOD=print
    * FluMist: Safe If You're Breast-Feeding?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/flumist/AN01462/METHOD=print

Seniors

    * Flu Information(Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) - http://www.medicare.gov/health/flu.asp
    * Flu—Get the ShotFrom the National Institutes of Health(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

You may also be interested in these MedlinePlus related pages:

    * 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

Date last updated: August 06 2008
Topic last reviewed: March 11 2008