- The flu is caused by influenza viruses A and B. There are different strains of the flu virus every year. The flu causes a fever, body aches, a headache, a dry cough, and a sore or dry throat. You will probably feel tired and less hungry than usual. The symptoms usually are the worst for the first 3 or 4 days. But it can take 1 to 2 weeks to get completely better.
- Most people get better without problems. But sometimes the flu can lead to a bacterial infection, such as an ear infection, a sinus infection, or bronchitis. Less often, the flu may cause a more serious problem, such as pneumonia. Certain people are at higher risk of problems from the flu. They include young children, pregnant women, older adults, and people with long-term illnesses or with impaired immune systems that make it hard to fight infection.
- After being diagnosed with the flu but have no complications necessary for admission, return home and rest, drink plenty of fluids, and take medicine to lower your fever. Wear a surgical mask as soon as your diagnosis is confirmed to help prevent spreading the virus.
- During this period, avoid going to public areas with large crowds or using the mass transport system. Avoid close contact with others including your family or those living with you. Maintain a distance of at least 1 meter if possible when talking to others. Let those who have close contact with you aware of flu symptoms so that they may seek medical help when necessary.
- All patients and family members should practice proper personal hygiene even more frequently, especially in terms of hand washing and personal respiratory tract protection：
- Wear masks if you have cough or other respiratory symptoms. Change your mask frequently and throw out the old one as soon as it is contaminated with your oral and nasal secretion.
- Wash your hands immediately and thoroughly if there is any possible contact with your respiratory secretion.
- Use a facial tissue or handkerchief to cover your nose and mouth when sneezing. You may use your sleeves as cover if there is no available tissue of handkerchief. Change into clean clothes at least once a day.
- Return to the hospital as soon as possible if there are the following symptoms：
- Feeling out of breath (during exercise or even at rest)
- Difficulty in breathing
- Cyanotic change (hypoxia: turning purple or blue around the mouth)
- Coughing blood
- Chest pain
- Abnormal or loss of consciousness
- Persistent high fever for more than 3 days despite fever medication
- Shock or low blood pressure
- In addition to the above symptoms, bring your child to the hospital as soon as possible if there is also any of the following symptoms：
- You have difficulty waking your child
- Decreased activity or motivation to play
- Poor appetite and decreased urine output
- The sensitivity of the influenza rapid test in our hospital is approximately 69%. However, the test result is only a reference and the choice of treatment should still depend on the physician and the clinical presentation and condition of the patient.
- Patterns and epidemic of the influenza virus changes seasonally. For more updated information, please visit the global information network of the center for disease control at http://www.cdc.gov.tw/.
- Some antiviral medicines reduce the severity and shorten the duration of flu symptoms by 1 to 1½ days if given within 48 hours of the first symptoms. These medicines are not intended to substitute for getting a flu vaccine each year.
- For patients taking Oseltamivir：Take the appropriate dosage correctly and completely to prevent developing drug resistance and ineffective or incomplete treatment effect.
- Adults：twice a day, one capsule a time (75mg capsule) everyday for 5 days straight.
- Children：dosage will depend on the child’s body weight but should also be taken everyday for 5 days straight.
- Possible adverse reactions and should be brought back to the hospital immediately：
- Severe nausea or vomiting
- There have been reports found in teenagers and adults in Japan where there were temporary psychotic behaviors like self-harm or delirium after taking oseltamivir.
- Please read the instructions and information provided in the medication box.
- For patients taking Oseltamivir：Take the appropriate dosage correctly and completely to prevent developing drug resistance and ineffective or incomplete treatment effect.
- For patients taking Relenza：
- Take the appropriate dosage correctly and completely to prevent developing drug resistance and ineffective or incomplete treatment effect.
- Twice a day, 2 inhalations each time (2x5mg), with a total daily inhalation dose of 20mg, everyday for 5 days straight.
- Possible adverse reactions and should be brought back to the hospital immediately：
- Patients with any history of chronic respiratory diseases should be more aware for any symptoms of bronchus spasm or difficulty in breathing.
- There have been reports found in teenagers and children in Japan where there were temporary psychotic behaviors like self-harm or delirium after taking relenza.
- Please read the instructions and information provided in the medication box.
- Take the appropriate dosage correctly and completely to prevent developing drug resistance and ineffective or incomplete treatment effect.
Infectious Diseases
- Dengue fever, also known as Breakbone fever, Dandy fever, Duengero, or Seven Day Fever Dengue Type, is an acute viral infection spread by mosquitoes. If the illness develops into severe complications, it is called Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever or Dengue Shock Syndrome.
- Dengue Fever in Taiwan, caused by the dengue virus, are carried by the mosquito species Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus (also called the Asian tiger mosquito). There are 4 different serotypes of dengue virus, type I, II, III, and IV.
- The primary form of Dengue Fever is characterized by a skin rash and a high fever (≧ 38 ℃) with severe pain in the head, the eye sockets, the muscles, the bones and joints. Other symptoms may include shaking chills, diarrhea, and vomiting. Bouts of extreme exhaustion may last for months after the initial symptoms.
- The secondary from of Dengue Fever is the Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever or Dengue Shock Syndrome which happens when people with weakened immune systems as well as those with a second or subsequent dengue infection are believed to be at greater risk for developing dengue hemorrhagic fever. Warning signs include abdominal pain or tenderness upon touch, persistent vomiting, drowsiness or irritability, bleeding (e.g. bleeding gums, nosebleeds, vomiting blood, black or bloody stools), patches of unknown cause of skin bruising, or low blood pressure and shock.
- After being bitten by a dengue virus carrying mosquito, a patient may remain asymptomatic for 3 to 8 days (up to 14 days). The patient becomes contagious from 1 day prior to symptom onset up to 5 days after symptoms have developed. Thus during this time, if the patient gets bitten by a Aedes aegypti or Aedes albopictus mosquito, the mosquito will carry the virus in a transmissible state and pass to others when bitten.
- Protect yourself and make efforts to keep the mosquito population down：
- Home：
- Install screen doors
- Use mosquito coils or mosquito lamp
- Put up mosquito nets around the bed
- Clear vector breeding sources (ie. any stasis water pools including pans under pots, old tires, buckets left out, etc…) and practice “scan, empty, clean, brush” frequently by looking for possible breeding grounds and emptying the water and cleaning and brushing out the
- When going out, wear light-colored long-sleeved clothing and apply insect repellents to any exposed parts of the body.
- Patients with dengue fever should be extra cautious within the first 5 days after symptom onset of preventing any more mosquito bites.
- Home：
- Patients who are confirmed or suspected to have been infected by the Dengue virus but do not need to be admitted must follow-up at the Infectious Diseases Outpatient department as scheduled.
- Please return to the hospital if there are the following symptoms (possible development into complicated Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever)：
- Symptoms worsening
- Persistent worsening symptoms even after fever subsided
- Severe abdominal pain
- Persistent vomiting
- Cold clammy extremities
- Extreme fatigue
- Irritability and restlessness
- Spontaneous bleeding (such as bloody stool or brown vomit)
- No urination for more than 4 to 6 hours
※Please call the 24-hour toll-free Infectious Disease Prevention hotline 1922 or a local department of health for any questions or more information.
- Avian flu or bird flu is caused by a type of influenza virus that rarely infects humans. More than a dozen types of bird flu virus have been identified, including the two strains that have most recently infected humans — H5N1 and H7N9.
- Bird flu occurs naturally in wild waterfowl and can spread into domestic poultry, such as chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese. The disease is transmitted via contacting with or inhaling an infected bird’s feces, or secretions from its nose, mouth or eyes.
- The virus can be dormant in an infected person for up to 10 days with a median of 6 days. Afterwards, symptoms of common flu may occur including fever, cough, sore throat, and muscle aches.
- How bird flu is treated depends on what the virus is doing to your body. In some cases, antiviral medicines may help you feel better. In such cases, antiviral drugs such as oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza) may be prescribed.
- In a few cases, bird flu was passed from one person to another person, not from a bird to a person. But this was very rare. Experts also worry because the bird flu virus is so different from other flu viruses that our bodies do not have immunity against it.
- Practice good hygiene and common sense as dealing with any type of contagious diseases.
- Wash your hands. This is one of the simplest and best ways to prevent infections of all kinds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing at least 60 percent alcohol when you travel.
- Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze. If flu symptoms occur, wear a mask and get plenty of rest. Call or go to the hospital if there are any concerns.
- Avoid cross-contamination when in the kitchen. Use hot, soapy water to wash cutting boards, utensils and all surfaces that have come into contact with raw poultry. Wash your hands immediately afterwards.
- Cook food thoroughly. Cook chicken until the juices run clear, and it reaches a minimum internal temperature of 74℃.
Steer clear of raw eggs. Because eggshells are often contaminated with bird droppings, avoid foods containing raw or undercooked eggs. - Maintain proper personal hygiene habits, balanced diet, adequate exercise and rest.
- In areas or countries with known or suspected bird flu：
- Avoid contact with birds and their secretions. Do not buy from unknown sources or breeding or smuggled birds.
- Avoid poultry farms, poultry-processing factories or plants, open-air markets, and close contact with chickens, turkeys, or ducks.
- Stay away from open-air markets where live birds are sold.
- If you’re traveling to Southeast Asia or to any region with bird flu outbreaks, practice self isolation for 10 days. Check your body temperature everyday in the morning and the afternoon for at least 10 days. Go to the hospital as soon as possible if there are any flu symptoms and mention your travel history promptly.
- If there is known contact with birds or traveling to areas with bird flu outbreaks, seek medical treatment if there is any fever, sore throat, cough, conjunctivitis or other symptoms. Wear a mask and take the initiative to inform the medical staff of related contact history, job content or any relevant information.
- If you have been diagnosed with bird flu but do not need admission, return home immediately and practice self isolation. Take medicine as prescribed and do not stop medication unless instructed, especially if there are antiviral drugs.
If symptoms progress or worsen (e.g. chest tightness, difficulty breathing, conscious change), go to the hospital right away. - Avoid visitors during hospitalization.