Fever

Introduction
Influenza or flu is a viral illness often occurring in outbreaks (epidemic)

Symptoms
It starts with a (39 °C/102 °F to 40 °C/104 °F) fever, headache, muscle aches and high temperature/chestiness. Flu cannot be treated with antibiotics. Flu is not usually dangerous; the fever generally disappears after 3 to 5 days. It may take up to two weeks before full recovery. Flu can lead to middle ear infection and other bacterial illness, or rarely pneumonia. These can be treated by your doctor.

Treatment: What you can do for yourself
Children (12 years and below)
Small children often do not want to eat when they are ill. Do not force them. Give them extra drinks and semi-solid food like yoghurt and porridge. You can give children’s paracetamol for any muscular pain and temperature.

Contact your doctor if:

• The fever has not reduced by the fourth day of illness
• Your child is refusing to drink
• Your child starts to become increasingly unwell, vomits or is confused

Contact your doctor immediately if:

• Your child is having breathing problems, wheezing or gasping for air.
• You think your child is in pain when breathing in
• Your child is drowsy or confused
• Your child cannot talk or does not react to its surroundings
• Your child is vomiting or has diarrhoea
• Your child cannot sit up or cannot bend their head forward

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