Hart Nat Hentoff David Horowitz Arianna Huffington Marianne Jennings Michael Kelly Mort Kondracke Ch. Using data derived from the epidemiology of year-round influenza in Asia, specialists attempt to predict which viruses will affect U.S. citizens each winter.
Flu is a highly contagious disease caused by one or more strains of influenza virus.
The disease typically causes fever, headache, muscle pains and symptoms of respiratory infection. In the United States, the virus season ordinarily extends from mid-December through March, with a peak in February. Such patients often have difficulty manufacturing antibodies to the virus and can be extremely susceptible to secondary bacterial infections. Also, the influenza viruses can weaken the immune system, making additional infections, such as pneumonia, more likely. For this reason, the flu virus is especially hazardous to patients with cancer, AIDS or organ transplants.