Influenza

The consequences of not understanding the actual rate of asymptomatic influenza infection can be grave, as influenza virus infection of the respiratory tract has been shown to result in severe disease and complications, including pneumonia, shock, renal failure, encephalopathy, and multiorgan dysfunction, which can be lethal.

Public health leaders have serious concerns about influenza, according to Dan Jernigan, MD, MPH, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Influenza Division during a session on influenza on May 2nd during the 65th Annual Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.

A recent review article on the status of influenza vaccines, their short-comings, and ways to improve them suggests the potential for significant improvements in the performance of future influenza vaccines.

Because certain viral sub-types are associated with higher rates of morbidity and mortality than others, efforts to improve the effectiveness of influenza vaccines remain an important focus of future research.

Seasonal influenza results in nearly 50,000 deaths each year in the United States alone, and 5 to 10 times as many deaths in all industrialized countries combined.

The untimely passing of pop music icon, Prince, is a somber reminder of the serious risks that can accompany an influenza infection.

Each year 20,000 children are hospitalized due to the flu. In the 2014/2015 winter season alone, 148 children lost their lives to the virus.

Researchers from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA have, for the first time, identified a link between a person's genetic make-up, as well as their ethnic background, and their response to influenza vaccine.

The 2015-2016 flu season started off slow but diagnoses have become more prominent and 10% of cases were confirmed during the first week of February.

Although some meta-analyses have called into question the efficacy of antiviral treatment, the Centers for Disease Control recommends empirical use of antiviral medications in patients with symptoms suggestive of influenza.