Influenza, or the flu, is a very common viral disease.  The [incubation period] can be from one to five days.  The symptoms include a high fever, headaches, and weakness.  The flu virus has spikes which allow it to attach itself to living cells.  It then surrounds the cell and becomes a part of it.  Antibodies are supposed to attach to the virus and disable it, but the flu virus can mutate more quickly than the antibodies and change shape to keep them from attaching.  The [vaccine] for the flu is grown in hens' eggs and has a 70-90% effectiveness rate.  People who are allergic to eggs should not recieve the vaccine.  The three major epidemics were:

     1918-19  -The Spanish Flu -20 million dead

     1957-58  -The Asian Flu

     1968-69  -The Hong Kong Flu
 

There are three types of flu: A, B, and C.

     A -This type is transmitted from animals to humans.

     B & C - These types are transmitted from humans to humans.

     A & B - These types cause epidemics.
 

-7,000,000 people died in WWI.  In less time, 20,000,000 people died during the Spanish Flu epidemic.

-The flu came from Africa with traveling soldiers.