What is difference between influenza A and B?

What is difference between influenza A and B?

Unlike type A flu viruses, type B flu is found only in humans. Type B flu may cause a less severe reaction than type A flu virus, but occasionally, type B flu can still be extremely harmful. Influenza type B viruses are not classified by subtype and do not cause pandemics.

What does influenza A and B test for?

Rapid influenza diagnostic tests (RIDTs) are immunoassays that can identify the presence of influenza A and B viral nucleoprotein antigens in respiratory specimens, and display the result in a qualitative way (positive vs. negative) (1). In the United States, a number of RIDTs are commercially available.

Which is worst influenza A or B?

Type A influenza is generally considered worse than type B influenza. This is because the symptoms are often more severe in type A influenza than in type B influenza. Type A influenza is more common than type B influenza. Researchers suggest that most adults have considerable immunity against type B influenza.

What is Strand A and B flu?

There are three main types of influenza: Type A. The most common form of influenza, type A can spread from animals to humans and is known to cause pandemics. Type B. Similar to type A, influenza B is also highly contagious and can have dangerous effects on your health in more severe cases.

How contagious is type A flu?

How long is it contagious? If you have the flu, you’re contagious from at least a day before you begin to experience symptoms up through five days after your symptoms begin. In more severe cases, you could be contagious for even longer after you begin experiencing symptoms.

How long is influenza A contagious?

When Flu Spreads Most healthy adults may be able to infect others beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 5 to 7 days after becoming sick. Children and some people with weakened immune systems may pass the virus for longer than 7 days.

How do you diagnose influenza A?

Diagnostic tests available for influenza include viral culture, serology, rapid antigen testing, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), immunofluorescence assays, and rapid molecular assays.

How do you test for influenza A or B?

There are a couple of different ways to get a sample for testing:

1. Swab test. Your health care provider will use a special swab to take a sample from your nose or throat.
2. Nasal Aspirate. Your health care provider will inject a saline solution into your nose, then remove the sample with gentle suction.

What are symptoms of Type A flu?

If you have influenza A, you will have some or all of these symptoms:

• fever and chills.
• headache and muscle aches.
• feeling tired and weak.
• sneezing, and stuffy or runny nose.
• sore throat and cough.

What to do if exposed to influenza A?

Call Doctor or Seek Care Now

1. Close Contact (exposure) with flu (influenza) within last 72 hours (3 days) and you are at High Risk of problems from the flu. See High Risk list; such as age more than 64, pregnant, chronic illness.
2. You feel weak or very sick.