The disease is transmitted through coughs and sneezes from the infected person. Recovery doesn’t give you permanent protection since the virus changes over time.
The symptoms are normally high fever, muscle soreness and headache, and in uncomplicated cases they last for 3-5 days.
Every year, the influenza vaccination is recommended to people with chronic diseases or those over 65, since the cause of the disease can be very serious for these groups. If you are 65 or over, you should consider being vaccinated before travelling.
Sometimes influenza can be prevented with an antiviral drug.