Clinical research organizations and public health agencies must analyze each new flu outbreak to determine whether the cause is a new strain of influenza, and to estimate the likelihood that it will become an epidemic or remain confined.

Recent flu research uses math and statistics to make that decision more cost-effectively, provided the early evidence points in a certain direction. My latest Decoded Science article, “Math may Distinguish Flukes from Flu Epidemic Outbreaks“, introduces the just-published research paper by Dr. S Cauchemez et al.

Protection from Flu Epidemics

The first step in protecting the public from a flu epidemic is to identify whether it’s likely to become one, as early as possible.

Sometimes the new strain cannot easily be transmitted from one person to another.

The mathematical analysis in the research paper shows that sometimes public health officials can make a reliable projection based on the earliest identified cases.

This can save time and money for public health agencies and clinical research organizations.

Read the article to learn what the researchers found.

By the way, the picture of this health-conscious sow did not make it past my editor so you won’t find her in my article.

Check Your Temperature if You Feel Ill, it may be the Flu

Let us disagree to everything but agree to one most important truth of the life and that is the use of some sort of anti-impotent pill. abacojet.com cialis soft tab Also are recommend regular meal, at regular hours, and for effective drug a man should intake super viagra http://abacojet.com/category/manufacturer/beechcraft-manufacturer/ it with plenty of water, an hour prior to intimacy activity. The medicine needs to be levitra pills online taken as per doctor’s recommendation if other medication is going on. Certainly the onus is on the industry’s private SRED Consultants to prepare higher quality claims and in some cases address their fee structures from a viewpoint of optics. viagra pills online Fever is one flu symptom. Prompt and accurate recognition of a fever can help diagnose many illnesses, including both seasonal and epidemic flu. At home, knowing your body temperature can help you decide whether to consult your doctor right now or to wait a day.

With its 15-second response time, this “Fever Scan” oral thermometer earned very positive reviews and high ratings in Amazon. You can afford to buy one for your medicine chest, another for road trips and a third for the cottage.

A Canadian Resource for Flu Information: a Public Service Announcement

Health Canada provides a handy guide to influenza, “Frequently-Asked Questions – Influenza“. This FAQ includes “What is the flu?” and “What are the symptoms of flu?”.

More relevant to my recent article is “How is seasonal flu different from pandemic flu?”. Their answer is “An influenza pandemic is declared when a new strain of flu virus emerges that has never been seen before and begins to spread quickly around the world“. (Epidemics spread quickly, but are called “pandemics” when they cross national boundaries).

The 2009 H1N1 pandemic is the poster child for this definition, although H1N1 is now a seasonal flu. Health Canada also notes that avian flu usually circulates in birds, but swine flu in pigs. So infected pig or bird populations would be reservoirs as discussed in my article and in the flu research paper.

So as a public service announcement, let me say the Health Canada has a wealth of information, with many more pages attached to that link about symptoms of flu and ways to reduce your risk of catching an influenza virus.

Publicity for Flu versus Fluke

As always, my Blog of Writing also publicizes my Decoded Science article. In fact, “Math Fights Flu Epidemics by Weeding Out Flukes” includes a healthful writing tip.

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Thank you for reading about determining whether a disease outbreak might be a flu epidemic or simply a fluke.