Ailments and Situations - Influenza or Flu - Causes and What to Expect

 

Causes:

Influenza is caused by the human influenza virus which is part of the orthomyxovirus group.

 
What to Expect:

Recovery is usually spontaneous and rapid. A common approach to dealing with the flu is through the use of antibiotics. However, antibiotics target and kill bacteria and, as such, are useless against influenza, which is viral in nature.

Most serious consequences of the flu are not due to the virus itself, but rather a secondary bacterial infection that arises due to a compromised immune system and a raw, exposed, trachea and respiratory tree. Often, the bacterial infection causes pneumonia and can be fatal for some. This was the reason for the large number of deaths that occurred during the 1918 flu pandemic. Those particularly at risk are infants and the elderly.