Flu in Children Causes
Types A and B are responsible for the yearly flu epidemics, and type C causes sporadic illness. The flu is caused by one of 3 types of influenza viruses.
Sporadic: Occurring upon occasion or in a scattered, isolated or seemingly random way.
A disorder that is sporadic is by definition neither an endemic, an epidemic, nor a Pandemic: An endemic is present in a community at all times but in low frequency. An endemic is continuous, as in the case of malaria in some areas of the world or as with illicit drugs in certain neighborhoods.
An epidemic involves more than the expected number of cases of disease occurring in a community or region During a given period of time. An epidemic is typically a sudden severe outbreak within a region or a group as, for example, AIDS in intravenous drug users.
Type A is further divided into different subtypes based on the chemical structure of the virus. Influenza is highly contagious. The virus is spread when someone either inhales infected droplets in the air (coughed up or sneezed by an infected person) or when someone comes in direct contact with an infected person’s secretions (for example, kissing, sharing of handkerchiefs and other items, and through use of objects such as spoons and forks).
