Type A, B and C Flu Viruses: What Are They?

 

All of us had experienced flu at some point of our lives. However, do you know that there are three types of flu viruses that can infect humans?

These flu viruses are types A, B and C. They don’t just differ in letters; they also differ in terms of signs and symptoms. While one type can cause only mild symptoms, other types can cause body aches and discomforts that can make a person lie down in bed all day.

What is Flu?

Flu or influenza is a contagious respiratory infection caused by viruses. The symptoms of flu are fever, muscle aches, cough, runny nose, soreness, headache, stomach ache and diarrhea. Flu viruses enter our bodies through the mucus membranes in the airways. It can also enter through the eyes or mouth, when we touch contaminated areas where viruses may be present.

Types of Flu

There are three common known types of flu viruses, namely, types A, B and C.

Type A: Avian or Bird Flu

Type A flu viruses usually come from birds that serve as hosts for this kind of viruses. Mostly animals are the ones who will be infected by these viruses, though people can also suffer Type A viral infections. Type A flu virus is also known as avian flu or avian influenza and refers to flu strains that primarily affect wild and domesticated birds. Bird flu is named H or N depending on the proteins found on the surface of the virus.

The Type A flu virus is constantly changing; it is the main reason for huge and alarming flu epidemics. Its symptoms include the following:

  • Fever
  • Cough
  • Sore throat
  • Nausea

Symptoms can often progress to severe breathing problems, pneumonia, and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Though bird flu spreads fast among birds, it cannot easily infect humans. However, there are people who are at higher risk for bird flu and include those who work with birds and poultry farms and those who are always in contact with bird feces. There have been very few cases of human-to-human transmission.

The diagnosis of bird flu lies in identifying the virus strains by immune tests. The treatment is antiviral drugs and hospital care.

In 2011, a mutated strain of bird flu, the H5N1, appeared. This strain cannot be treated by existing poultry vaccines. In 2013, another strain, the H7N9 appeared in China.

Currently, there is no available vaccine for humans against bird flu in the market. Only a very few number of people worldwide were infected with H5N1.

Type B

The Type B flu virus is usually found in humans and can bring about mild symptoms. However it can be still dangerous and can bring about complications.

Type C

Type C viruses can infect humans but in most cases the infection is milder in terms of symptoms as compared to Type A and B Flu viral infections. This type of virus does not usually cause epidemics. It is not as dangerous as compared to the Type A and B viruses.

The Types of Viruses Compared

Type A virus can infect animals as well as humans, while type B and C virus can only infect humans.

Type A and B Flu viruses can cause yearly epidemics or the so-called seasonal flu occurrences, which also refer to the times when a flu virus has the greater risk of spreading to other people.

The different types of flu viruses are constantly changing due to mutation. Mutation is a change that occurs in the DNA sequence because of environmental factors such as UV light exposure and cigarette smoke.

Protection against Flu

Older people aged 60 and above, babies and children are more susceptible to the common type of flu, so they should get flu shots every year. Vaccines should be updated and reviewed annually.

Did you have your flu shot already? Ask your doctor when to get it now!

 

-Medical Observer

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