Influenza
What is it?
Influenza (flu) is a contagious respiratory illness caused by viruses that attack the nose, throat, and sometimes the lungs. It is capable of causing mild to severe illness and even death in some cases.
What are the symptoms?
High fever (38°C or more)
Dry cough
Body aches
Feeling extremely weak and tired
Chills
An ache behind the eyes
Appetite loss
Sore throat
Nose congestion or runny nose
Transmission
Influenza can be transmitted by breathing in tiny airborne droplets from someone else's cough or sneeze; touching the mouth, nose, or eyes after touching something with the flu virus on it can also cause transmission. The best way to prevent the flu is by getting a flu vaccine each year.
Diagnosis
A Doctor makes a diagnosis based on a medical history and an assessment of signs and symptoms. The most common way to diagnose influenza is with a rapid influenza diagnostic test (RIDT), although a negative RIDT test should be considered a false negative. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) nose and throat swab should be collected and sent to the pathology lab for microbiological testing to confirm influenza.
Outbreak definition
Three or more residents and/or employees, with influenza-like illness within the same 48-hour period or four residents and/or employees within seven days in the same wing or area indicates a potential influenza outbreak until proven otherwise.