Influenza as a Viral Infectious Disease Research Paper

Influenza as a Viral Infectious Disease - Research Paper Example Natural hosts of this virus are wild aquatic birds and it can be transmitted to the domestic poultry and infect human. Influenza B virus is less virulent, and it has only one serotype. It usually infects human and does not have other natural hosts. The human receives immunity to this virus in early ages, but still, it doesn’t give us lasting immunity as the virus mutates. Influenza C is less spread and is transmitted to human, pigs, and dogs. (CDC,2014) Aerosol transmission is the most common way of the spread of influenza virus. People can be infected when they inhale aerosols that contain viruses. The other way of transmission is direct one when mucus from an infected person gets in eyes, nose or mouth of a healthy person. Also, it can be transmitted through immediate contact with contaminated surfaces. The main symptoms of influenza are fever, temperature runs up to 38-39 C, fatigue, aching muscles, headache, dry cough, runny nose. Usually, people recover in one to two weeks after appropriate treatment. But sometimes complications such as pneumonia may occur.( Cowling BJ,2014) Influenza is a quite ole disease as it was preserved throughout human history. The first evidence of influenza pandemic was observed in Russia in 1580 and then spread to Europe. The highest amount of people was infected during the Spanish flu pandemic in 1918-1919 and it caused approximately 20 million deaths worldwide and 500.000 deaths in the United States. There were a lot of different symptoms and this disease was misdiagnosed as cholera or typhoid. Lately was observed that symptoms were provoked by bacterial pneumonia. Other influenza pandemics were not so huge. Among them was an Asian flu pandemic in 1957 that caused 70.000 deaths in the United States, Hong Kong flu in 1968 provoked 34.000 deaths in the United States, Russian flu in 1977 and 2009-2010 flu pandemic. Therefore, influenza is an infectious disease that causes by a virus. It is a quite common disease nowadays. Children and elderly are at the highest risk. Influenza transmitted through the air and immediate contact w ith contaminated surfaces. There were a lot of influenza pandemics that cause a high rate of deaths all over the world. They included Spanish flu, Asian flu, Hong Kong flu. To prevent influenza trivalent and the quadrivalent vaccine is available that provides immunity against different influenza virus subtypes. The most effective and safe treatment of influenza contains such medicines as oseltamivir, zanamivir, amantadine, and rimantadine.

Is Conventional Medicine the Only Way to Go Essay

Is Conventional Medicine the Only Way to Go - Essay Example According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) of the National Institutes of Health of the United States government, which is "dedicated to exploring complementary and alternative healing practices in the context of rigorous science, training CAM researchers and disseminating authoritative information" (University of Texas, 2006), complementary and alternative medicine is defined as "a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine" (NCCAM, 2002). It must be remembered that complementary medicine and alternative medicine are two different things. Complementary medicine, as the name suggests, is employed in conjunction with conventional medicine. "An example of a complementary therapy is using aromatherapy to help lessen a patient's discomfort following surgery" (NCCAM, 2002). On the other hand, alternative medicine, again as suggested by how the area of study is termed, is actually practiced instead of conventional practices. "An example of an alternative therapy is using a special diet to treat cancer instead of undergoing surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy that has been recommended by a conventional doctor" (NCCAM, 2002). Then again, integrative medicine "combines mainstream medical therapies and CAM therapies for which there is some high-quality scientific evidence of safety and effectiveness" (NCCAM, 2002). Under the umbrella of complementary and alternative medicine are five major classifications, as categorized by the NCCAM: (1) Alternative Medical Systems; (2) Mind-Body Interventions; (3) Biologically Based Therapies; (4) Manipulative and Body-Based Methods; and (5) Energy Therapies. Alternative medical systems include homeopathic medicine, naturopathic medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, and Ayurveda. Mind-body interventions include techniques such as patient support groups, cognitive-behavioral therapy, meditation, prayer, mental healing, and therapies that use creative outlets such as art, music, or dance. Biologically based therapies make use of natural products, such as herbs, foods, and vitamins, and include therapies like dietary supplements (Although, nowadays, dietary supplements have been incorporated into the practice of conventional medicine.), herbal products, and the use of other so-called natural but as yet scientifically unproven therapies. Manipulative and body-b ased methods include chiropractic manipulation, osteopathic manipulation, and massage. Lastly, energy therapies, which are further subdivided into biofield therapies and bioelectromagnetic-based therapies, include qi gong, Reiki, and Therapeutic Touch under the former, and pulsed fields, magnetic fields, alternating-current fields, or direct-current fields under the latter. With all the different kinds of therapies and forms of health and medical care, individuals are now faced with much more difficult