What is influenza type a virus

Type B viruses mutate much slower than type A infections and are categorized by strains, but not subtypes. The B virus strains take longer for their genetic makeup to change than influenza A.

This drastically reduces the risk of a widespread pandemic due to type B influenza. Type A influenza can be dangerous and is known to cause outbreaks and increase your risk of disease. Unlike a type B infection, type A viruses are categorized by subtypes and strains.

Influenza A mutates faster than influenza B, but both viruses are always changing, creating new strains from one flu season to the next. Past flu vaccinations will not prevent infection from a new strain. Wild birds are the natural hosts for a type A virus, also called avian flu and bird flu. This infection can also spread to other animals and humans. This, combined with the ability of type A influenza to mutate faster than type B, can cause pandemics. Before treating your condition, your doctor will need to check for the influenza virus.

The preferred test is the rapid molecular assay. In this procedure, your doctor swabs your nose or throat. The test will detect influenza viral RNA within 30 minutes or less.

In some cases, influenza A symptoms can clear on their own with ample rest and fluid intake. In other cases, your doctor may prescribe antiviral medication to fight the infection.

Common antiviral prescriptions include:. These medications, known as neuraminidase inhibitors, reduce the ability of the influenza virus to spread from cell to cell, slowing down the infection process.

Though effective, these medications can cause side effects such as nausea and vomiting. If you begin to experience any of these symptoms or if your condition worsens, stop using the prescription and visit your doctor immediately. A new medication called baloxavir marboxil Xofluza , created by a Japanese pharmaceutical company, was approved in October by the U. This antiviral drug helps stop the influenza virus from replicating.

Over-the-counter medication therapy can also ease flu symptoms. Be sure to stay hydrated to loosen mucus in your chest and strengthen your immune system.

In more severe cases, you could be contagious for even longer after you begin experiencing symptoms. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Influenza Type A Viruses. Minus Related Pages. On This Page. Get Email Updates. To receive email updates about this page, enter your email address: Email Address. What's this? Links with this icon indicate that you are leaving the CDC website.

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Cancel Continue. Cardiovascular disease CVD is one of eight main forms of chronic disease in Australia. Other main chronic diseases are: asthma, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD , arthritis, back pain, cancer, and mental health conditions Australian Institute of Health and Wellbeing This causes delays and changes to the signals being transmitted between the nerves and the brain.

Pneumonia is an acute infection of the lungs that causes the alveoli in one or both lungs to fill with pus and fluids. When a person has pneumonia, breathing is painful and oxygen intake is limited. In , over two million people died from pneumonia worldwide.

The common cold or upper respiratory tract infection is a highly prevalent viral infection that can be caused by over types of viruses including some strains of the coronavirus family.

It affects the nose, ears and throat. Healthdirect Australia is not responsible for the content and advertising on the external website you are now entering.

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On this page What is influenza A? What are the types of influenza A? What are the symptoms of influenza A? How is influenza A treated? Can influenza A be prevented? Related information on Australian websites What is influenza A? The other types of influenza virus are type B and type C. If you have influenza A, you will have some or all of these symptoms: fever and chills headache and muscle aches feeling tired and weak sneezing, and stuffy or runny nose sore throat and cough Children may also have abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting.

If you have influenza, you are likely to get better within a week or so by: resting in bed taking mild pain relief to reduce your pain drinking plenty of liquids eating light foods when you are hungry In some people, the flu can be severe and lead to serious complications such as pneumonia.

Should I keep my child home from school? Is it a cold or the flu? Back To Top. General search results. Questions and answers for consumers on the seasonal influenza vaccines. Avian influenza fact sheet.