Pneumonia, Influenza and the Bird Flu

Pneumonia is a serious condition in which there is an inflammation of the lungs due to an infection of some sort. This infection can be caused by a virus, as in Viral Pneumonia, or from bacterium as is the case with Mycoplasm Pneumonia, mostly known as Walking Pneumonia.

Pneumonia of either type will usually occur when the person's immune system has already been compromised by another condition such as Influenza, or an upper respiratory tract infection. While these infections do not directly cause the Pneumonia, they do adversely affect the protective coating of mucous in the lungs which encourages harmful bacteria growth.

Pneumonia is also defined by its location in the lungs; Lobar Pneumonia occurs only in one lobe or part of a lung while Bronchopneumonia is more of a patchy or sporadic infection that can be found all throughout the lungs.

Pneumonia is also placed into two categories of classification depending on where the patient has contracted it from. CAP or Community Acquired Pneumonia, is the most common  group that affects four million adults every year and typically follows an upper respiratory infection or is caused by Streptococcus Pneumoniae.

HAP or Hospital Acquired Pneumonia, is when the person contract the illness in a hospital setting and can also be referred to as Nosocomial Pneumonia. Hospital patients are particularly vulnerable to contracting Pneumonia, mostly due to their weakened states and their prior medical conditions. The lungs are most commonly infected with Pneumonia when inhaled through the nose or mouth. Infections may also spread to the lungs through the bloodstream as well. 

Influenza, which we usually call "the flu", is an infectious disease of both mammals and birds. It is caused by an RNA virus of the family Orthromyxoviridae, which simply means "the Influenza viruses." The most common symptoms in humans are fever, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, muscle pain, sore throat, coughing and a severe headache. In serious cases, Influenza can cause Pneumonia, particularly in the elderly or in young children, and can be fatal.

Influenza is sometimes confused with the common cold, but it's a much more serious condition and caused by a completely different type of virus. Gastroenteritis is often mistakenly called "the flu" or the "24 hour stomach flu".

Influenza is typically transmitted by mammals through coughing or sneezing creating an airborne method for the virus to spread. Also, infected bird droppings, feces, blood, saliva and nasal secretions can also contain the virus.

A flu can spread around the globe in epidemics killing millions of people. Three Influenza pandemics have struck the US in the 20th century, causing the virus to genetically change significantly each time. A deadly strain of the flu known as the H5N1, or the Bird Flu, as it's commonly called, first started killing humans in Asia in the 1990s. This strain has posed the greatest risk in several years for another pandemic of the Influenza virus. However, it has not yet mutated enough thus far to spread easily among humans.

There are vaccinations against Influenza and they are most commonly given to those people who live in high-risk areas of the world, especially those living near farmed poultry. Anti-viral drugs are also used to treat Influenza since the virus changes so rapidly over time and it continues to be difficult to treat.