- published: 19 May 2016
- views: 297007
Asian Flu may refer to:
Asian refers to an inhabitant of Asia, or someone of Asian descent.
In the Americas, Australia and New Zealand the term refers to those from the Asia pacific region, such as China, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, due to common features found in the region.
In the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth countries, the term refers more frequently to those from the Indian subcontinent.
Asian or Asiatic may also refer to:
Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae (the influenza viruses), that affects birds and mammals. The most common symptoms of the disease are chills, fever, sore throat, muscle pains, severe headache, coughing, weakness/fatigue and general discomfort. Although it is often confused with other influenza-like illnesses, especially the common cold, influenza is a more severe disease than the common cold and is caused by a different type of virus. Influenza may produce nausea and vomiting, particularly in children, but these symptoms are more common in the unrelated gastroenteritis, which is sometimes, inaccurately, referred to as "stomach flu." Approximately 33% of persons with influenza are asymptomatic.
On the other side of the spectrum, flu can occasionally lead to pneumonia, either direct viral pneumonia or secondary bacterial pneumonia, even for persons who are usually very healthy. In particular it is a warning sign if a child (or presumably an adult) seems to be getting better and then relapses with a high fever as this relapse may be bacterial pneumonia. Another warning sign is if the person starts to have trouble breathing. A 2009 New England Journal of Medicine article stated that it is difficult to tell bacterial from viral pneumonia and recommended that patients with influenza who show signs of pneumonia be treated with both antivirals and antibiotics.