Acute Respiratory Infections

Influenza like illness otherwise known as Acute Respiratory Infection is an acute viral infection that spreads easily from one person to another. It can affect anybody in any age group. It usually causes annual epidemics that peak during winter in temperate regions. Vaccination is the most effective way to prevent infection (WHO 2009).

Seasonal influenza is characterised by a sudden onset of high fever, cough (usually dry), headache, muscle and joint pain, severe malaise (feeling unwell) sore throat and runny nose.

Why combatting Acute Respiratory Infection is so important? 

Acute respiratory infection is the most common acute infection in children in every continent. Yearly influenza epidemics can seriously affect all age groups, but the highest risk of complications occur among children younger than age two, adults aged 65 or older people of any age with certain medical conditions, such as chronic or weakened immune systems.
 
Infection with influenza (Flu) has been shown to impair children's attention and reaction time. It also affects hand-eye coordination and reduces the ability to tolerate high levels of noise, leading to children being distracted from learning activities.

In addition to environmental factors, Vitamin A deficiency can lead to promotion of respiratory infections by damaging the lungs and thus reducing resistance.

Key Resources:

Randomized Trial of Probiotics and Calcium on Diarrhea and Respiratory Tract Infections in Indonesian Children - This journal investigates the effects of calcium and probiotics on the incidence and duration of acute diarrhea and acute respiratory tract infections (ARITs) in low-socioeconomic communities of Jakarta, Indonesia. 

Zinc supplementation for the prevention of acute lower respiratory infection in children in developing countries: meta-analysis and meta regression of randomized trials - Findings were presented in this report that zinc supplementation reduced the incidence of childhood Acute Lower Respiratory Infection (ALRI) defined by relatively specific clinical criteria, but the effect was null if lower specificity case definitions were applied.