LiveScience Topics: Flu

Each year anywhere from 5 to 20 percent of the U.S. population gets the flu. In a flu pandemic, far more can get sick. Many people think of the flu as a winter disease. Influenza is actually a year-round problem. But people tend to stay indoors more in the winter, making person-to-person transmission of the disease, which is caused by a virus, easier. The flu virus is most commonly spread in liquid droplets made airborne by coughing or sneezing. Symptoms – such as fever, body ache, extreme fatigue, sore throat, and dry cough – begin showing in adults one to four days after being infected. About 36,000 people in the United States die from influenza and related complications each year.

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U.S. Child Deaths from Swine Flu Exceed 100

Nineteen swine flu-related pediatric deaths were reported last week.
Fighting the Flu: Do Hand Sanitizers Work?

Hand-sanitizer mania has gripped the nation. But fortunately these alcohol-based gels are excellent for preventing the spread of the flu and, although limited, pose littl...
Grounding Flights Won't Stop Flu

Experts say travel limitations won't affect the spread of swine flu.

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A Simple Sneeze Raises Fear of Death

The sound of achoo can cause people to overestimate the risk of other health hazards.
New Patch Could Replace Needle Shots

Researchers develop patch that could replace hypodermic needles.
Swine Flu More Severe than Seasonal Flu

The H1N1 influenza virus, or swine flu, causes more lung damage in monkeys, mice and ferrets than the seasonal flu.
Swine Flu Might Hop Back to Pigs

Pigs could catch the new H1N1 flu strain, or swine flu, from humans.
The Gross Science of a Cough and a Sneeze

Scientists study the ways we cough and sneeze to shed light on how viruses like influenza spread.
Don't Panic, It's Just a Pandemic

This flu pandemic seems like it's taking its time. It's hard to know how worked up to get over the new elevated risk status.
Flu Pandemic Declared

The World Health Organization raised the level of influenza pandemic alert from phase 5 to phase 6.
Swine Flu Evolved Unnoticed for Years

H1N1 influenza A virus evolved and hopped to humans several months outbreak was recognized.
WHO on Flu: Prepare for Pandemic, Not Panic

Swine flu is about to be called a pandemic, but officials want to make sure people don't panic.
Swine Flu Deaths Hit 100

The death toll from the outbreak of A(H1N1) influenza reached 100 with the death of two people in New York.
Innards of H1N1 Virus Resemble 'Flu Sausage'

Pigs cough up a mish-mash of flu viruses, which is why the swine flu outbreak was something that scientists saw coming for years
Bird Flu Dies in Our Cold Noses

A new study blames humans' cold noses for preventing a bird flu pandemic.
Claim: Swine Flu Possibly Created in Lab

This strain might have evolved in eggs scientists in some unknown lab used to grow viruses.
U.S. Now World Leader in Swine Flu Cases

The U.S. has now vaulted past Mexico as the nation most affected by the swine flu virus.
The Science of Sneezing: Modeling Spray Exposure

Math models help understand how viruses travel through sneezing and other pathways.
Let's Hold Hands: Why Viruses Love Humans

The instruction from public health officials to keep away from others to stop the spread of the swine flu is a tough one for us primates.
Will Vaccines Fuel Killer Flu Mutation?

While it is plausible, the short answer is no, it is not happening.
Survey Documents Flu Fears

Nearly half of Americans were concerned five days ago that they or their family might actually get the H1N1 "swine" flu.
Why Are Humans Always So Sick?

Super-hygiene, sedentary lifestyles, and a lack of worms all contribute to modern ills.
Donated Vaccines Could Save 2.5 Million Quiet Little Lives

No death is more painful, more poignant, more of a waste, than the death of a child. In Rwanda, swine flu isn't the big culprit.
'Worst-Case' Scenario for Flu Estimated

There could be about 1,700 U.S. cases of the new H1N1 flu, aka "swine flu," in the next four weeks, new studies estimate.

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LiveScience Topics: Flu

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