Influenza

With the increase in foreign travel Irish tourists are going to be exposed to a number of diseases overseas which are rare within our own shores. Some of these diseases are just annoying and may cause mild irritation to the traveller while other are significantly more serious and may even produce a fatal outcome.
One of the most important illnesses to which the Irish traveller will be exposed fits between these two extremes.

Influenza Information

WHO Information Fact Sheet

There are 4 types of seasonal influenza viruses, types A, B, C and D. Influenza A and B viruses circulate and cause seasonal epidemics of disease.

Influenza A viruses are further classified into subtypes according to the combinations of the hemagglutinin (HA) and the neuraminidase (NA), the proteins on the surface of the virus. Currently circulating in humans are subtype A(H1N1) and A(H3N2) influenza viruses. The A(H1N1) is also written as A(H1N1)pdm09 as it caused the pandemic in 2009 and subsequently replaced the seasonal influenza A(H1N1) virus which had circulated prior to 2009. Only influenza type A viruses are known to have caused pandemics.
Influenza B viruses are not classified into subtypes, but can be broken down into lineages. Currently circulating influenza type B viruses belong to either B/Yamagata or B/Victoria lineage.
Influenza C virus is detected less frequently and usually causes mild infections, thus does not present public health importance.
Influenza D viruses primarily affect cattle and are not known to infect or cause illness in people.