Abstract

SOLORZANO-SANTOS, Fortino  and  MIRANDA-NOVALES, Ma. Guadalupe. Influenza. Bol. Med. Hosp. Infant. Mex. [online]. 2009, vol.66, n.5, pp.461-473. ISSN 1665-1146.

Influenza is a highly contagious acute viral infection of the respiratory tract. It is caused by influenza A, B and C virus. Infection occurs at all ages, but during epidemics the morbidity is higher at extremes of life. Sick patients demand medical care and hospitalization, consuming limited resources, increasing length of hospital-days and eventually death. Recently, in Mexico a novel influenza A virus (H1N1) caused an epidemic. With the new virus surveillance, infections due also to seasonal virus were documented. This update highlights recommendations for prevention and treatment of influenza.

Keywords : Influenza; prevention; influenza vaccine; H1N1 influenza A virus.