What Type Causes The Seasonal Flu
Three types of flu virusesA, B, and Ccause seasonal influenza. Influenza D may also have the potential to do so if the potential for future transmission from animals to humans comes to fruition.
Seasonal flu is the type of influenza that typically causes illness for just a few months out of the year. Flu season is different depending on where you are in the world. In the United States, it usually falls between October and April.
What Is The Difference Between Flu A And Flu B
They are caused by two different kinds of viruses. There are three types of influenza viruses that have been classified according to the types of proteins they have. There are Type A, Type B, and Type C influenza viruses. Type A and B each have many different strains. Type C does not.Type A influenza is one of the more common types we see in the seasonal flu among humans and it is also a very common type that many other animals get. It has subtypes and strains that differ, which is why having one subtype will not give you immunity from all the other subtypes and strains.Type B influenza is also a common type among humans and is found only in humans. It is not divided into subtypes but there are multiple strains.Type C has been found in humans, pigs, and dogs. The symptoms are usually very mild, milder than those of Type A and B influenza viruses, and it typically doesn’t cause epidemics. It is not divided into different subtypes or strains.
How To Treat A Cold
Because a cold is a viral infection, antibiotics are not effective at treating it.
However, over-the-counter medications, such as antihistamines, , acetaminophen, and NSAIDs, can relieve congestion, aches, and other cold symptoms. Drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration.
Some people take natural remedies, such as zinc, vitamin C, or echinacea, to prevent or relieve cold symptoms. The evidence is mixed on whether they work.
A 2015 study in BMC Family Practice found that high-dose zinc lozenges could shorten the length of colds if taken within 24 hours of showing symptoms.
Vitamin C doesnt seem to prevent colds, but if you take it consistently, it might lessen your symptoms, according to a 2013 Cochrane review. Echinacea in BMJ found vitamin D helps protect against both colds and flu.
Colds usually clear up within 7 to 10 days. See a doctor if:
- your cold hasnt improved in about a week
- you start to run a high fever
- your fever doesnt go down
You could have allergies or a bacterial infection that requires antibiotics, such as sinusitis or strep throat. A nagging cough could also be a sign of asthma or bronchitis.
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Influenza Virus Types And Subtypes
There are three kinds of influenza: A, B, and C. Influenza B and C arent much to worry about, at most causing minor illness. The influenza A viruses, by contrast, are highly variable and so have the potential to outwit the human immune system and cause a pandemic.
Henry NichollsPandemic Influenza: The Inside Story
It is helpful to understand a little bit about the influenza virusthe different types, how they are named, and how they mutate. The more you know, the better you will be able to protect your patients, friends, and family members from catching the flu.
Influenza viruses are categorized and named by type. There are three types of influenza virusesA, B, and C. Type is determined by the material within the nucleus of the virus.
Left: The influenza virus. Copyright Zygote Media Group. Used with Permission. Right: Structure of the influenza virion. The hemagglutinin and neuraminidase proteins are shown on the surface of the particle. The viral RNAs that make up the genome are shown as red coils inside the particle and bound to ribonuclear proteins . Source: NIH, public domain.
The nomenclature used to describe a specific influenza virus was established by the World Health Organization in 1980 and is expressed in this order:
A/California/04/2009
A/Fujian/411/2002
Influenza B Viruses Mutate A Lot Slower

Needless to say, type B flu is less evil than type A flu because its easier to control since it can be transmitted only by humans.
One more thing about type B flu that makes it less terrifying than type A flu is the fact that the influenza viruses responsible for it mutate 2 to 3 times slower than the influenza viruses behind type A flu. Yes, influenza viruses tend to change on a regular basis and this is the reason why getting the flu shot yearly is a good idea.
But despite of being due to different influenza viruses, type A flu and type B flu tend to cause the very same symptoms, and most people who are infected tend to heal on their own.
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Whats The Difference Between Type I And Type B Buildings
The main difference between the Type I-A and B is that the Type I-B building has exterior walls and a structural frame that only has to resist fire for two hours, rather than the three hours of the Type I-A. The Type II-A building is considered one that is protected and non-combustible, and often includes newer schools.
What Should Countries Do About It
Monitor the situation
Monitoring how the influenza virus is spreading through the Region and which strains of the virus are dominant is crucial for helping countries prepare for the peak of the season. Countries should conduct virological and clinical surveillance of influenza to characterize the circulating virus types, to determine the timing of the influenza season, and to gauge the potential severity of disease all of which might differ from one season to the next. Reporting this data to WHO helps us develop a regional and global picture of how the virus is behaving.
Vaccinate those at increased risk
Countries should continue to encourage vaccination. People at increased risk of severe disease from infection include older people, pregnant women, young children, immunocompromised people and people with chronic underlying medical conditions. These groups represent a significant proportion of the population in the WHO European Region. Therefore, WHO/Europe recommends that everyone at risk of severe disease from infection with influenza, as well as health-care workers, be vaccinated.
Use antivirals on at-risk infected individuals
Clinicians should consider early antiviral treatments, according to local guidance, for those who have been infected with influenza and are at risk of severe disease, to prevent severe outcomes and reduce the burden on health-care systems already under pressure because of COVID-19.
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What Is The Difference Between Influenza A B And C
Influenza commonly known as the flu is classified as three different types based on its nucleic acids and protein composition, according to the National Institutes of Health .
Once tested, the flu is categorized as Type A, Type B, or Type C.
Type A flu viruses are found in humans and also in some animals, including ducks, chickens, and pigs, according to the NIH.
There are numerous types and subtypes of the Type A flu virus. Type A usually has the most severe flu symptoms and most frequently leads to extreme illness, including hospitalization and even death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
Type B flu viruses are common among humans, according to the NIH.
The symptoms of Type B are similar to Type A. Both influenza A and B are immunized against in the annual flu vaccine, according to the CDC.
Influenza Type C has much milder symptoms, according to the NIH. It causes mild respiratory infections, but it is not severe enough to cause global outbreaks like Type A has in the past.
Symptoms of Type C are most similar to those of a cold, and the flu vaccine does not protect against influenza Type C viruses, according to the CDC.
For more about the difference between influenza types A, B, and C, talk with your doctor.
Learn more:
Subtypes Of The Influenza A Virus
Influenza A is further divided into different subtypes. These subtypes are based off of the combination of two proteins on the viral surface: hemagglutinin and neuraminidase . There are 18 different H subtypes and 11 different N subtypes.
For example, the most common influenza A subtypes that go around seasonally in humans are H1N1 and H3N2. In 2017, H3N2 spread to dogs in Florida. In 2015, this same strain also infected dogs in an earlier outbreak in Chicago.
Influenza A viruses can be further broken down into strains.
Unlike influenza A, influenza B isnt further divided into subtypes. But it can be broken down further into specific viral lineages and strains.
The naming of influenza virus strains is complex. It includes information such as:
- influenza type
- species of origin
- geographical origin
approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in late 2018.
The zanamivir, oseltamivir, and peramivir medications noted above work by reducing the ability of the virus to release itself from infected cells. The newer drug, baloxavir marboxil works by reducing the ability of the virus to replicate.
These antiviral medications are most effective when started within the first 48 hours of your illness. Theyre ineffective in treating illness caused by influenza C.
Over-the-counter medications can be taken to relieve nasal congestion, fever, and aches and pains.
Getting lots of rest, eating a healthy diet, and drinking plenty of fluids helps your body fight the virus as well.
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How Long Someone Can Spread The Virus
Similarities:
For both COVID-19 and flu, its possible to spread the virus for at least 1 day before experiencing any symptoms.
Differences:
If a person has COVID-19, they could be contagious for a longer time than if they had flu.
Most people with flu are contagious for about 1 day before they show symptoms.
Older children and adults with flu appear to be most contagious during the initial 3-4 days of their illness but many people remain contagious for about 7 days.
Infants and people with weakened immune systems can be contagious for even longer.
COVID-19
How long someone can spread the virus that causes COVID-19 is still under investigation.
Its possible for people to spread the virus for about 2 days before experiencing signs or symptoms and remain contagious for at least 10 days after signs or symptoms first appeared. If someone is asymptomatic or their symptoms go away, its possible to remain contagious for at least 10 days after testing positive for COVID-19. People who are hospitalized with severe disease and people with weakened immune systems can be contagious for 20 days or longer.
What Is Pandemic Influenza Preparedness
When an influenza pandemic emerges, WHO adheres to its six-phase preparedness plan. Phases 13 are the early stages in pandemic preparedness designed to prevent or contain small outbreaks. The 4th and 5th phases are characterized by urgency in implementation of mitigation procedures. Phase 6 is characterized by widespread disease and sustained transmission of the virus between humans.
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What Is Who/europe Doing
Each week during the influenza season WHO/Europe, in collaboration with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, collects and analyses influenza surveillance data from Member States and publishes a weekly Flu News Europe bulletin.
The bulletin provides public health officials and decision-makers in Member States with the information required to assess influenza activity in the Region and helps them make decisions on appropriate actions to prepare their health systems and protect the populations most likely to be affected.
Monitoring influenza virus circulation across the Region also informs WHO/Europes recommendations on the composition of vaccines, thus increasing as much as possible their effectiveness against the virus types predicted to be in widespread circulation.
What Type Of Virus Causes Influenza

Influenza is caused by several closely related viruses in the family Orthomyxoviridae, an RNA virus group. Influenza viruses are categorized as types A, B, C, and D. These major types generally produce similar symptoms but are unrelated antigenically. The infection with one type confers no immunity against the others.
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Content: Type A Personality Vs Type B Personality
Type B Personality | ||
---|---|---|
Meaning | Type A personality is one which is stress prone, in a hurry, impatient and fast in whatever they do. | Type B personality is one which is less stress prone patient, relaxed and easy going. |
Nature | ||
Does several things at a time. | Does one thing at a time. | |
Stress level | ||
Encounters pressure because of time constraints | Is not affected by time constraints. |
Most Common Virus Type This Winter
Until now we have mainly seen influenza A viruses circulating in the Region. In most cases these will cause mild illness, but in older adults they are known to sometimes lead to severe disease and death. Fewer influenza Apdm09 or influenza B viruses have been detected to date, although the distribution of viruses usually changes over the course of the winter, so we might see this situation change.
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Mutation Rates And Pandemic Potential
The last major difference between influenza A and B is the rate at which these viruses change and evolve , which also impacts how much they can contribute to a flu pandemic. Influenza type A viruses are in a perpetual state of change. Spontaneous changes called mutations occur frequently in their genes.
From one flu season to the next, genetic changes in the circulating influenza type A viruses are extensive enough that your immune system cannot recognize the newly change viruses even if you had the flu shot or the flu the previous year. This is why you need a flu shot every year the shot from the previous year cannot protect you against the newly mutated influenza type A viruses.
Influenza type B viruses mutate much more slowly than influenza type A viruses. Whereas type A viruses change significantly from one flu season to the next, influenza B viruses typically change significantly only every few years.
The high mutation rate of influenza type A viruses combined with their broader range of hosts imparts these viruses with pandemic potential that influenza B viruses do not possess. All the influenza pandemics that have occurred in modern times from the Spanish flu in 1918 to the 2009 novel H1N1 pandemic have been caused by influenza type A viruses.
Should I Get My Flu Shot Now Or Wait
There is no change in CDCs recommendation on timing of vaccination this flu season. Getting vaccinated in July or August is too early, especially for older people, because of the likelihood of reduced protection against flu infection later in the flu season. September and October are good times to get vaccinated.
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What Is An Influenza Pandemic
An influenza pandemic is a worldwide outbreak of disease. This occurs when an influenza virus undergoes an antigenic shift and creates a completely new subtype of influenza A with the ability to cause illness in people and spread easily from person-to-person.
We are not currently experiencing an influenza pandemic. However, two identified avian influenza viruses have the potential to cause a pandemicH5N1 and H7N9. Because H5N1 and H7N9 do not circulate in humans, people have little to no immunity against these viruses. Human infections with these viruses have happened rarely, but if either virus changes in such a way that it is able to infect humans easily and spread easily from person-to-person, an influenza pandemic could result.
Definition Of Type B Personality
Type B personality is one that is less prone to stress, easy going, work steadily, enjoy achievement, modest ambition, and live in the moment. They are social, creative, thoughtful, procrastinating. Individuals who possess a Type B personality are associated with the following behavioural traits:
- They are not concerned about time.
- They compete for fun, not to win.
- Mild-mannered.
- Focus on quality rather than quantity.
- Laidback and live a stress-less life.
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What Are Influenza Type A Flu And Type B Flu
When it comes to the flu, not all types are created equal. Youâve probably heard that there are a few different types of the flu. According to the CDC, there are three types of influenza viruses: influenza A, influenza B and influenza C.
Influenza A and B are the two main types that routinely spread in humans and cause seasonal flu epidemics. Influenza C viruses cause only mild respiratory infections and are not thought to be responsible for epidemics. 14, 15
Influenza A vs B: Brief History & Transmission
Influenza A viruses are the most harmful, as they can cause severe disease. Wild aquatic birds are often the hosts for a large variety of influenza A viruses. Sometimes these viruses are transmitted from bird to human and can cause devastating outbreaks. Some of the subtypes of influenza A that have caused the largest number of known human deaths are:14, 15
- H1N1, which caused Spanish Flu in 1918 and Swine Flu in 200911
- H2N2, which caused Asian Flu in 195722
- H3N2, which caused Hong Kong Flu in 196833
- H5N1, which caused Bird Flu in 200444
Influenza B almost exclusively infects humans and is less common than influenza A. Flu type B also mutates about two to three times more slowly than influenza A. Because humans are the natural host of influenza B, pandemics generally do not occur with influenza B viruses.22
Signs of Influenza A or Influenza B Symptoms
Influenza A and Influenza B Treatment