Influenza  (Flu)

Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae (the influenza viruses), that affects birds and mammals. The name influenza comes from the Italian: influenza, meaning "influence" (Latin: influentia). In humans, common symptoms of the disease are chills, fever, pharyngitis, muscle pains,severe headache, coughing, weakness and general discomfort.

     In more serious cases, influenza, causes pneumonia, which can be fatal, particularly for the young and the elderly. Although it is often confused with the common cold, influenza is a much more severe disease and is caused by a different type of virus. Influenza can produce nausea and vomiting, especially in children, but these symptoms are more common in the unrelated disease gastroenteritis, which is sometimes called "stomach flu" or "24-hour flu".

     Typically, influenza is transmitted from infected mammals through the air by coughs or sneezes, creating aerosols containing the virus, and from infected birds through their droppings. influenza can also be transmitted by saliva, nasal secretions, faeces and blood. Infections also occur through contact with these body fluids or with contaminated surfaces. Flu viruses can remain infectious for about one week at human body temperature, over 30 days at 0 °C (32 °F), and for much longer periods at very low temperatures. Most influenza strains can be inactivated easily by disinfectants and detergents

This is what the influenza  virus looks like 
This is a negative-stained transmission electron micrograph (TEM) which illustrates the ultrastructural details of a number of influenza virus particles, called "virions". A member of the taxonomic family Orthomyxoviridae, the influenza virus is a single-stranded RNA organism.

TEM courtesy of KaiScience.com

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Revised Sept 15, 2010