The common cold (also known as nasopharyngitis, rhinopharyngitis, acute coryza, or a cold) is a viral infectious disease of the upper respiratory tract which affects primarily the nose. Symptoms include coughing, sore throat, runny nose, and fever which usually resolve in seven to ten days, with some symptoms lasting up to three weeks. Well over 200 viruses are implicated in the cause of the common cold; the rhinoviruses are the most common. Getting cold or wet won’t give you a cold.
Antibiotics have no effect against viral infections but Symptoms can be treated.
It is the most frequent infectious disease in humans with the average adult contracting two to three colds a year and the average child contracting between six and twelve.
This is an infectious disease of birds and mammals caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae, the influenza viruses. Often, new influenza strains appear when an existing flu virus spreads to humans from another animal species, or when an existing human strain picks up new genes from a virus that usually infects birds or pigs.
The most common symptoms are chills, fever, sore throat, muscle pains, headache (often severe), coughing, weakness/fatigue and general discomfort. Many people are so ill that they are confined to bed for several days, with aches and pains throughout their bodies and extreme fatigue.
Flu can occasionally lead to pneumonia, either direct viral pneumonia or secondary bacterial pneumonia, even for persons who are usually very healthy. So make sure you eat the healthy food listed above and have plenty of rest times when you feel tired or dizzy, you do not want to push your body to extremes, since your body needs rest to battle the infection. Children and teenagers with flu symptoms (particularly fever) should avoid taking aspirin during an influenza infection (especially influenza type B), because doing so can lead to Reye's syndrome, a rare but potentially fatal disease of the liver.
To avoid getting this, wash hands after being out in public places. Do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth or if you have anti-bacterial hand gel then use it. Also for those with health issues / at risk catagory, there is a human vaccine , the trivalent influenza vaccine. A vaccine formulated for one year may be ineffective in the following year, also a new vaccine may not protect from a new strain. There are many who refuse to take this vaccine since they also contain Mercury, and toxic ingredient that the body can not rid of. I am one that since I stopped taking the vaccine and changing to a more healthy aware diet, have had very few colds since.
Antiviral drugs Neuraminidase inhibitors such as the antiviral medications oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza) have been used to treat influenza. But in recent reports it has been rumoured they do not work unless given really early, yet may make people feel more ill. Watch the Video below for an overview and conspiracy.
The antiviral drugs amantadine and rimantadine block a viral ion channel (M2 protein) and prevent the virus from infecting cells.
“Experts are concerned about the spread of a new strain of bird flu which has evolved from an existing bird flu virus called H10N8, has infected two people in China.
Scientists believe that, if it continues to spread, there could be a flu pandemic
While some mild illnesses in human H7N9 cases have been seen, most patients have had severe respiratory illness, with about one-third resulting in death. No evidence of sustained person-to-person spread of H7N9 has been found, though some evidence points to limited person-to-person spread in rare circumstances.
It’s likely that cases of H7N9 associated with poultry exposure will continue to occur in China. And may spread to other countries including USA by travelers the CDC said.
The U.S. Government supports international surveillance for H7N9 and other influenza viruses with pandemic potential.
During the spring of 2013, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported 132 human H7N9 infections, with 44 deaths.
A woman was admitted to the hospital on Christmas Day with fever and pneumonia and was isolated in intensive care,
Secretary for Food and Health Dr Ko Wing-man said .
the government had raised Hong Kong's influenza pandemic response level to "serious", meaning public hospitals would limit visiting times and strengthen protection controls. Sales of local and imported live poultry would not be affected.
"H7N9 cases have been moving south," Ko said. "We expect to see more imported H7N9 cases."