Does obesity in children cause risks for influenza complications?

On a daily account, Influenza infects 15-20% population children every year, it further increases the risk of severe complication among those who have been already falls in the category of obese. This blog evaluated if the obesity cause risk for influenza symptoms in obese children or not and what are the rescue which may helpful in eradicating this threat.

 Among Obese, adults infected with influenza shed the virus a longer time compared to children, however, the risk of severe infection among obese children often highlights in the Journals of Infectious Diseases during the survey. "This is the first real evidence that obesity might impact more than just disease severity," said senior study author Aubree Gordon.

Influenza is a serious worldwide concerned public health problem that has the potential to accelerate the mortality rate at a much higher rate. Historically the highest risks group for including mortality due to influenza consist of elderly, obese and children. Influenza is not only growing concern in the US, in fact around every region complication from influenza in obese children would be expected to increase. 

Obesity can alter the immune system response thus it leads to chronic inflammation with increasing age. It is, therefore, more important to come up with effective strategies to protect the obese on the horizon. The question arises of how and whether these approaches reduce the risk factor or not.

The researcher found that obesity plays a significant role in the transmission of influenza. Besides, it is observed that shed of the virus among children can cause epidemics. Breathing sickness is also one of the significant factors that could affect influenza rate severity occasionally fluctuating more in obese persons. Therefore with the growing obesity epidemic, a complication from influenza infection becomes a challenge.

Influenza can be serious for the sizeable group of people. Anyone who has a high risk of influenza should get antiviral treatment if they show symptom. According to the CDC, flu vaccines reduce the chances of being engulfed by the virus. Annual influenza vaccination beginning at 6 months of age is recommended to prevent influenza and its complications.  

It was estimated that around 60% effectiveness of vaccines has been observed in obese children. Vaccines show lower inhibitory action in the case of children as compared to adults. In U.s annual influenza vaccination is recommended to children to reduce the chances of influenza virus attack. Though influenza BMI category was a significant factor, The risk factor was similar when adjusting obesity level in adults and children. 

Obesity level was double since 1980 leaving a large number of obese children and adults. Vaccination represents the best method to protect influenza. Several studies have suggested that overweight and obesity impairs vaccine response to several pathogens. For example, non-responders to hepatitis B vaccination are overrepresented in obese adults and children while tetanus toxoid response in overweight children is similarly impaired. This is, however, cause reason for impairment of T- cell responses towards influenza vaccinated samples. Despite the presence of seroprotective level of antibody, the obese are 2X times more prone to develop influenza.

Conclusion-

Through figures and data, it could be inferred ‘’Obesity causes the increasing risks of influenza in children”. The presence of a seroprotective level of antibody even could not fight against influenza in case the person is suffered from obesity. Because of the fact obesity alter the immune system responses, it becomes a significantchallenge to treat an obese person more effectively. On the other side, it is equally important to come up with better techniques and vaccination to reduce the obesity level as well as a growing risk of influenza at the same time.