The beginning of the winter also signals a period of greater incidence of flu. More than 10 states have reported widespread incidence of flu which is caused by the influenza virus. This is an influenza virus particle and the H1N1 is touted to be the primary strain observed but it is no longer called the ‘Swine Flu’. It is an influenza virus particle and has also been called the virion. Explaining the structure of the virus CDC or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes it as a Virion which has an outer protein shell and a inner nucleic acid core. The particular strain has an eight stranded RNA segments
The flu incidences are being reported all over the country and the number of states which are reporting cases of flu has jumped from 4 to 10 as per the figures released by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
States where the flu cases have been reported includes Alabama, Alaska, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Wyoming. The states have been reported in the CDC’s weekly flu report. The previous week only 4 states reported flu cases and this included Alabama, Louisiana, New York and Texas
The flu cases have been reported to be widespread and this means 50% of geographic regions in a state are reporting flu activity. In a way the report only reveals the spread or the extent of the flu incidence and not the severity of the Flu cases.
Doctors have been avoiding the word flu but it seems that the typical influenza season has started. The flu season starts typically in the winter months and peaks in January or February.
The only unfamiliar thing in the outbreak has been the H1N1which was known in 2009 as the swine flu. Experts have confirmed that the virus identified this year was the same one which was seen for the first time in 2009 and was named Swine Flu.
The virus is no longer referred as that swine flu and is now known as a seasonal virus.
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