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It might be a bird, it may be swine, it might as well be some mystical combination of alphabets and number. Yet if, and when it hits you, you may be left feeling like Che Guevara, oblivious, yet fighting.
Read on ahead, for some things in life were not meant to make sense, the reference of Che for instance. What we are talking about here is Flu, the very word, whose utterance, might make one feel sick.
Some are contagious, some seasonal, some fatal, while others still are been discovered with every passing day, even as you are reading this article.
Read on the ahead, and find out more about the types of flu, which may have their sights on you, and of which you should be very cautious of.
Read our section: Cold Flu & Sinus
What is Flu
1Seasonal Flu
For regularly healthy adults, a case of seasonal flu may last for up to a week, and might not require any special treatment, other than basic precautions.
The symptoms are similar to those of the common cold, only more severe, with fever, fatigue, cough and a sore throat setting in one at a time, and prevailing all together.
Young children, pregnant woman, and adults above the age of 70 are more prone to catching the flu.
2H1N1
The virus has resurfaced at different parts of the world from time to time, yet the invention of a vaccine has subdued the cases to a large extent, somewhat categorizing the virus as a seasonal flu ever since.
The symptoms are similar to seasonal flu, the only difference been, that even healthy adults below the age of 70 may be effected, particularly severely by the virus.
3Avian Flu
Fever, cough and heavy breathing are the common symptoms of this virus. If we go by the statistics, more than 60% of people who have been contracted by the virus, have ended up dead.
Unlike popular belief, the virus cannot be contracted by eating cooked chicken. On the other hand, hanging around live poultry, and visiting affected areas, may lead to contracting of the virus.
4Variant Flu
Initially, the symptoms may feel like those of a mild seasonal flu, with severe complications developing during the later stages.
Children are the most vulnerable to the virus, as grown ups seem to have a built in immunity.
The only way, this virus may spread is by coming in close proximity to a sick pig. Eating cooked meat does not spread the virus.
5Ebola
The symptoms may involve incessant vomiting, accompanied with internal as well as external bleeding.
The transmission of this virus is possible only through shared body fluids.
6Norovirus
The virus is normally contracted through contaminated food, or through exposure to an infected person.
Common precautions that one must take at all times, to prevent the contraction of the virus includes, washing hands with soap before meals, and using disinfectants in the house for cleaning purposes.
7MERS
The common symptoms of this respiratory ailment include fever, intense coughing and breathing troubles. The disease is said to have a 30% fatality rate, with transmission possible through the commonest of media, which would be air.
8Pertussis
The symptoms are similar to those of common flu, with the addition of a persistent cough.
Staying up to date on the vaccination front helps in lowering the risk of contracting the virus.
9West Nile Virus
The common symptoms include high fever, skin rashes, headaches and joint pain. In certain severe cases, occurrence of a neurological illness, such as meningitis is also a possibility.
All measures should be taken to keep bugs and mosquitoes away from your living space. Stagnant water should be done away with, use of insect repellents is recommended, so are bug proof screens on doors and windows.
