Influenza (flu) is a severe virus disease which affects men, women and children of all ages and nationalities. The disease is followed by high mortality, especially among little kids and old people. The epidemics of flu occur every year usually in cold season and it hit up to 15% of population in the world.
Periodically repeating, flu and ARD destroy about one year of our life. A man spends this period in inactive condition suffering from fever, common weakness, headaches, intoxication with toxic virus proteins.
Flu gradually breaks heart-vascular system shortening lifetime of an average man. During severe course of this virus disease often occurs irreversible affection of heart-vascular system, respiratory organ, central nervous system provoking heart and vascular diseases, pneumonia, tracheobronchitis, meningoencephalitis.
Term “Acute Respiratory Disease” (ARD) or “Acute Respiratory Viral Infection” (ARVI) comprises a vast number of similar diseases. They are similar because they are caused by viruses invading organism by respiring air via mouth and nasal pharynx, and also they have similar symptoms: increased temperature of the body, sore throat, cough and headache. The most common respiratory disease is acute rhinitis (cold) that is caused by a number of congenerous viruses called rhinoviruses. During recovery all those symptoms disappear and they do not leave any signs. However, it would be wrong to call “flu” all kinds of ARD and ARVI. Flu is caused by a flu virus (Myxovirus influenzae) that belongs to the family of orthomyxoviruses.
Flu and ARVI are leading in frequency and number of cases and are 95% of all virus diseases.
About the origin of word “influenza” there are several versions. According to one of them, the word has appeared in Italy in the mid of 15th century after a serous epidemic which people thought to be the result of stars influence. Another version says that the word is originated from Latin word “influere” (invade) or Italian "influenza di freddo" (cooling after-effect).
