Influenza

Introduction
Influenza is among the most prevalent infectious airborne viral diseases that affect the respiratory system. According to the World Health Organization (2016), the infection majorly affects the throat, nose, and the bronchi, and on rare occasions, it may affect the lungs. Also commonly known as the flu, influenza infection is characterized by sneezing, itchy and running nose as well as throat inflammation. The initial signs and symptoms include fever with temperatures higher that 100F, soreness in the back, myalgia, legs and arm muscles, sweats and chills, frontal or retro-orbital headaches, tachycardia, red, watery eyes, and fatigue. Sometimes, a dry and persistent cough, nasal congestion and discharge occur (Clark & Lynch, 2011).
Causes and Transmission
The Influenza viruses are transmitted in the form of droplets through the atmosphere whenever an infected individual speaks, coughs or even sneezes. A healthy person can either get infected through directly inhaling these contaminated droplets or obtain the viruses from contaminated objects like computer keyboards, mouses or even the phones, and move them to the respiratory pathways like the nose and mouth. According to Clark & Lynch (2011), the infected individuals become contagious a day before the appearance of the first symptoms and continue in this state up to 5 to 10 days after. Studies have revealed that young children and individuals with compromised immune systems remain in the contagious phase for longer periods of time. The influenza viruses are very dynamic and keep evolving from time to time and the emergence of new strains have become a regular phenomenon in the 21st century (World Health Organization, 2016). Influenza has a widely varying incubation period ranging between 1 to 4 days, with an average of 2 days.
Diagnosis
Traditionally, the diagnosis of