Once inside you, the virus makes a beeline
for your respiratory system and binds to the
cells that line those areas. The virus then
hijacks those cells’ natural mechanisms for
replicating and uses them to create even more
flu viruses in your body.
While this process might cause some harm
to your respiratory tract, it’s nothing major,
and nothing like the symptoms that typically
accompany a bad or even mild case of the flu.
The real fun starts when your immune
system begins to ight. This begins as soon as
the flu virus starts to replicate.CTRL-C CTRL-V
Your immune system comes in two parts: the
innate system and the adaptive. The innate
immune system is essentially an all-purpose
tool. As soon as your body senses the presence
of any injury or invader, the innate immune
system launches into action by producing tiny
proteins called cytokines and chemokines. The
cytokines reproduce almost immediately and
start to attack the virus. This increase in immune
cells creates an overwhelming inflammation
throughout the body that makes you start to feel
funny. But the worst is still to come.
Simultaneously, the chemokines work with
the adaptive immune system to help create
T cells. These cells are a special type of white
blood cell that work in a much more speciic
way: They ind the influenza virus, identifyTHIS YEAR’S NORTHERN FLU
season is pretty scary. To try to combat and
minimise the effects, public health oficials in
US are still urging anyone who hasn’t yet gotten
their flu shot to get one as soon as possible. Yet
with 36 per cent effectiveness (considered
good, the shot can’t prevent everyone from
getting infected with the notorious virus.
Unlike most common colds, strains of
the influenza virus can cause symptoms all
throughout the body. And when you’ve got
them, they can be pretty alarming. Knowledge
is power, so here’s what goes on in your body
when you come down with the flu.
ANGLE OF ATTACK
The influenza virus primarily attacks your
respiratory tract: your nose, throat, and the
tubes that lead to your lungs. So symptoms
like a runny nose, a phlegmy cough, and a sore
throat all make a lot of sense. But the flu is so
much more than that. Though other organs in
the body are not the primary target, the virus
still has an effect on them. Your muscles ache,
your head hurts, and your appetite goes down.
Ironically, almost all of these symptoms
have less to do with the virus itself than with
your immune response to them.
The virus usually enters through your
mouth, typically by way of your hands: You
touch your face more often than you think. But
it takes a few days for symptoms to set in.
Avian Influenza is a more deadly and virulent relative
of seasonal flu. The first to suffer when it breaks out
are the thousands of chickens that must be culled.26 POPULAR SCIENCE
YOU’VE GONE VIRAL!How (Not) to Die
of Influenza
Insight
by CLAIRE MALDARELLI