SAN BERNARDINO – Adam Quintana woke up Saturday not feeling well because of flu-like symptoms, but he knew he needed to pick up a win on the mound if San Bernardino Valley College was going to make the playoffs.

The former San Gorgonio standout felt great, however, after going eight strong innings and allowing just two runs and striking out 10 to lead the Wolverines to a 15-2 Foothill Conference victory over visiting Antelope Valley.

The 21st win of the season ensured San Bernardino Valley of its first playoff trip since 2005 and Quintana helped his own cause with two hits and three runs scored as his high school coach Bill Eatinger looked on.

San Bernardino (21-14 overall) finished 16-8 in conference and tied Chaffey for second place, but the Wolverines won the head-to-head season series two games to one. Quintana also improved to 6-2 and lowered his ERA to 1.61.

“Adam didn’t feel well at all this morning and I asked him if he still wanted the ball and he didn’t hesitate in answering,” manager Bill Mierzwik said.

“He’s a warrior and after the second inning, he really settled down and hit his spots and was very effective.”

Joseph Szczepanski was excellent in the leadoff spot for San Bernardino Valley as the freshman first baseman went 4 for 5 with three runs scored and two RBIs to pace the Wolverines’ 12-hit attack.

Brett Torrence had two hits, a run scored and an RBI, but it was his play on defense that tilted the momentum in the Wolverines’ favor.

Antelope Valley’s (14-20, 11-13) Ryan Marshall singled home Cory DeRush in the top of the fourth to give the Marauder’s a 2-1 lead and looked like to make it more, but Torrence’s throw to the plate retired Aaron Owen to end the inning and minimized the damage.

San Bernardino Valley took the momentum in the bottom of the fourth and scored six runs on four hits and capitalized on four Antelope Valley errors to take a commanding 7-2 lead.

“Getting out of the top of that inning and getting six runs in the bottom took all the pressure I was feeling away and I was able to relax and do my job,” Quintana said. “It feels great after falling just short of making the playoffs last year to do it this season.

“Later in the game, I felt like I was hitting my spots and mixing my pitches well.”

Josh Alonzo was just 1 for 4, but the Wolverines’ second baseman scored three runs and drove in three.

“We did a lot of things well today,” Mierzwik said. “We got some timely hitting, took advantage of some of their mistakes and even though we needed a three-game sweep to make the postseason our kids played with a lot of composure.”

Four Antelope Valley pitchers combined to walk six batters and hit five more in a long day for the Marauders.

Marshall had two hits and two RBIs for Antelope Valley.

Kevin Verdeja went the final inning for the Wolverines and struck out two batters in the ninth inning.

What’s Going around

A bad cough, sneezing, and congestion: we try to avoid these symptoms at all costs but thousands of adults still go without the recommended vaccinations every year.

Studies show only one-third of adults take the flu shot during the season. And other more dangerous diseases are also being put on the back burner.

The most forgotten illness is chickenpox.  It’s not just for kids.  In fact, adults are 10 times more likely to be hospitalized when they have chicken pox than are children. the Centers for Disease Control recommends two doses of the vaccine if you’ve never had it.

If you’re 60 or older, you’re not off the hook.  one million adults get shingles every year. It’s caused by the same virus as chickenpox.  It stays dormant for years and can reactivate, causing severe pain. the shingles vaccine is recommended for all adults over 60.

Finally, whooping cough. For years one shot as a child was considered enough, but doctors say it’s becoming more of an adult problem.  Doctors suggest adults, especially parents, have one Tdap vaccine followed by a tetanus booster every 10 years.

Your doctor should review your status with you every check-up.  Blood tests can show if you need the vaccine for some types of diseases, but the best best is to just get re-vaccinated. Experts say even if you’ve taken the shot in the past, it won’t harm you.

• Copyright 2012 by Ivanhoe Broadcast News and News4Jax.com. all rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

When 6-year-old Angela Bushi’s organs started to fail, her family feared they would lose her – just as they had lost her 18-month-old sister Alicia to liver failure a few months earlier.

“When you see your children in this situation, and there’s nothing you can do, it is so hard,” said Angela’s mom, Valbona Bushi.  “We went through a lot.”

But today, Angela’s organs are functioning better than ever.  thanks to a team of geneticists and surgeons at Holtz Children’s Hospital and the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine/Jackson Memorial Hospital, her life was saved after she underwent a combined liver, pancreas, and kidney transplant – the first ever quadruple transplant of its kind performed on a child.

Initially born healthy, Angela developed type 1 diabetes when she was just a year old.  Four years later, she became even sicker, developing flu-like symptoms, which  eventually turned into fatal liver failure.

“This was kind of an unusual combination of acute liver failure and diabetes,” said Dr. Olaf Bodamer, director of the pediatric genetics program at Holtz Children’s Hospital, who eventually diagnosed Angela.  “We knew that her sister had died under similar circumstances, so we assumed that her condition was genetic.  When you go to the medical literature, the list of syndromes that came up to explain her condition was very small.”

Bodamer finally discovered the culprit – Wilcott-Rallison Syndrome (WRS), an extremely rare disease with only 60 known cases in medical literature worldwide.  Those with WRS have a multitude of health problems, including diabetes, liver and/or kidney failure, bone and growth problems, repeated infections and intellectual impairment.

And for the majority of children with WRS, the condition is typically fatal.

After finally diagnosing Angela with WRS, surgeons knew that if they were going to save her life, transplanting just one organ wasn’t going to cut it.

“The risk to her life was from three (different) organs – the liver, pancreas, and kidneys,” said Dr. Andreas Tzakis, chief of the liver/GI transplant program at UM’s Miller School of Medicine and Jackson Memorial Hospital, and one of the transplant surgeons who operated on Angela.  “If there was to be a solution, we knew we’d have to combine these (three different types of) organs into one transplant.  We had several consultations within the team, outside the team, and the parents; and collectively, we decided the transplant was the way to go.”

Angela was placed on a transplant list, and on December 29, 2011, she received the ground-breaking quadruple transplant.  Because of Angela’s small size and the combination of the organs needed, Angela’s new liver, pancreas, and kidneys all came from a single donor.  the organs were left in a “block,” almost as if they were all one organ.  

The surgery was the first to ever be performed on a child – and the first to be used to treat WRS.  Liver transplants had previously been considered to treat the disease, but surgeons never followed through with them for fear of complications with other organs.  but because the surgeons transplanted all the organs at once, the complications were minimized as much as possible.

Initially, Angela started to reject the organs – but the doctors were prepared and treated the issue with anti-rejection meds, and she has since fully recovered. she was discharged from Holtz at the end of February.

Angela no longer needs insulin treatment, and the only evidence of her innovative surgery is a slightly protruding belly, which houses two pancreases, a new liver and four kidneys.

The surgeons hope Angela’s story will not be the only one of its kind and that more transplants like hers can be done in the future.

“The surgery itself might benefit other children who might need this combination,” Tzakis said.  “It might give hope to children with this syndrome – that there might be at least one solution that can prolong their life.  For the first time, we have a sense of enjoyment about this whole process.   Seeing the child looking well and the family being relieved, this is the first time I feel joy for having done this procedure.”

The Bushi family, who live in Jacksonville, Fla., are also joyous to have Angela back home and feeling better.  they said they look forward to seeing Angela live a long and healthy life.

“She’s a normal child again, and we can do everything like normal parents,” Valbona said.  “She even wants to be a doctor when she grows up.”

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Oz Testing for Cancer

Today on Doctor Oz, we find out the warning signs of cancer and how to recognize them along with Oz approved supplements to prevent cancer. as the show opens, Oz says there are four signs we need to be able to spot that could warn us we have cancer. first, a patient says she had back pain, loss of appetite, and diarrhea and she found out she had pancreatic cancer. Oz says that greasy stools, yellowing in the white part of our eyes are symptoms we should notice and see a doctor if they persist. next, we see a patient that had chest pain, flu symptoms, and exhaustion and she was diagnosed with Lymphoma. Oz says to differentiate cancer from a regular flu we should see these symptoms lasting for more than a week. the third patient had a cough, tenderness in her shoulder, and arm pain and she was diagnosed with lung cancer. now to determine if this pain is cancer, we should see if the pain stops with our movement and doesn’t go away. Finally, we see a patient that had bloating, constipation, and bloating and she had colon cancer. Oz says that bloating for over a week, is something you need to see a doctor. he says if you are over 50 you need to have your colon checked.

The next segment is about supplements to fight cancer and Dr. Lindsey Duncan is on the show. he says diet and exercise is the best way to fight cancer. the first supplement is IP-6 and you should take 500mg twice a day and it fights lung and colon cancer. next, Selenium is a super anti oxidant and it gets rid of free radicals that cause cancer. We need 200 micro grams a day. the third supplement is Black Raspberry and you need 300 mg twice a day. This has been proven to fight cancer. Finally, vitamin D-3 fights many different cancers and we need at least 1,000 IU a day. Dr. Duncan says we should all be using vitamin d, black raspberry each day. if we have any history of colon or lung cancer in our family, then we should use the selenium and IP-6.

The third segment has Ashley Koff and she is talking about our metabolism and how to rev it up. first, Cacao nibs or powder is what chocolate is made from and it stimulates your body and will get your metabolism stimulated. you can add the powder to your smoothies. Oolong Tea is next and it prevents triglycerides from forming and it will actually cause you to burn more calories. third, GTF Chromium supplements will cause your cells to burn up the sugar in your body and you need 200 micro grams twice a day. by using the supplement and substituting the tea and cacao for another food you are already eating, you can lose those pounds and get your body burning more calories.

The fourth segment is about the best cures for cellulite. he gives a demonstration on how it is formed in our body. now the first treatment is Aminophylline cream and it gets trid of the water in the fat cells and smooths the skin. second, Retinol cream can be used to strengthen the skin and make cellulite less visible. third, caffeine and Kola nut cream will tighten the skin and smooth over the bumps. These treatments are all temporary and will not be a permanent fix.

Now we get the best ways to fix our stomach problems with Dr. Keri Peterson. for constipation, you should use a saline enema to get instant relief. This works in 1 to 5 minutes. Heart burn is a common problem and Keri says we should use any antacid that has magnesium for the fastest relief. next, gas is something we all suffer from and we should use a product like mylanta gas to break down the gas into small particles that are easy to expel. Finally, for belly cramps we should use a heating pad or hot water bottle applied to the abdomen. This is better than taking a pill.

Oz says we should start our day with a shot of apple cider vinegar in ice water to jump start our metabolism and we can use sea salt, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and sesame oil to make our own cellulite scrub. for more information on any of the topics discussed today, you can go to Oz’s web site by following the link below. Photo and information from: Doctor Oz

1. Dr. Oz Today: Knowing how To Spot the Warning Signs for Cancer (2/16/2012)
2. Dr. Oz 1/5/2012: Today Oz Talks about Bacteria and Stomach Cancer
3. Dr. Oz show Recap: Ovarian Cancer Warning Signs, Tests and Prevention
4. Dr. Oz show: Ovarian Cancer Warning Signs you should Know!
5. Doctor Oz Reveals New Breast Cancer Detection Technology you need To Know about!!!

PANAMA CITY — Sniffles, wheezing and coughing are all part of the cold and flu season.

But, is there really a difference between a cold and flu and an allergy?

Bay County Health Department Director of Nursing Kerry Hunt said when it comes to the flu and cold season, “It’s all about the virus.”

Allergies usually cause runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, wheezing, coughing, watery and itchy eyes, but there is no fever, Hunt said. Allergies are usually caused by objects, like flowers, dust or pet hair.

Flu or colds may cause runny nose, aches and pains, sore and scratchy throat along with sneezing and coughing, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA).

“Colds and flus are caused by viruses,” Hunt said. “It is not caused by weather.”

So, Hunt related, just because you go outside without your jacket doesn’t mean you’ll catch cold.

“not true,” Hunt said.

Hunt said the cold and flu season usually comes around during January and February.

“before H1N1 they were most common during the cold periods of the year,” she continued. “H1N1 was a particular strain of the flu that was a novel strain, which means it was never identified before. we had more cases of the H1N1 in the spring and summer.”

The World Health Organization declared the new strain of swine-origin H1N1, also known as the “swine flu,” as a pandemic back in 2009. The “novel virus” spread worldwide and had caused about 17,000 deaths by the start of 2010.

The H1N1 stain is covered in this year’s vaccine edition.

“You really need to get the flu vaccine every year,” Hunt said. “It’s not too late, but I do suggest people come on in and get the flu shot.”

It does take time to develop an immunity to the virus, Hunt said.

Make it stop

To stop spreading the flu or cold, Hunt recommends a couple of things.

“first, don’t go to work,” she said.

Sneezing into the sleeve of a garment rather than your hands helps. It may be best to sneeze into a paper tissue. Avoid touching your face. The flu is transmitted through touch.

According to the Health Department, the seasonal flu replicates better in cold weather, which makes it easier to spread. of course, flu seasons are unpredictable and can start early or run late.

To prevent getting a flu, Hunt said to get a flu shot every year, frequently wash your hands, use a disinfectant and be careful when sneezing and coughing around others.

“we still have flu shots available,” Hunt said.

The cost for the regular flu vaccine at the Health Department is $29. A high dose flu vaccine specifically for individuals 65 years and older is available at a cost of $42.

According to the AAFA, if you have the flu you should get plenty of rest, drink lots of fluids and eat healthy foods. Over-the-counter medications, like a decongestant or a nasal sprays, can help relieve your symptoms, but they do not cure your cold; only time can do that.

The Florida Department of Health urges residents and visitors to take precautions to protect themselves and their families during flu season. Roughly 36,000 individuals in the U.S. die annually from influenza and related complications. In 2010, more than 2,000 people in Florida died from influenza and pneumonia — 26 of whom were from Bay County.

A local Registered Nurse was nice enough and took a little time to give us a quick lesson in sickness, just in time for the flu & cold season.

Claycord.com presents the first in a three part series called “Cold & Flu 101?:

As a Registered Nurse who deals with the cold/flu season every year, I wanted to write up some information for people that may help us get through this time of year as healthy as possible. I’m going to introduce the information regarding cold/flu, very simply, then follow up with two more articles, one in regards to children and the second for adults. Knowledge is power when it comes to colds and flus. these articles are to disseminate information only and not as a means to treat/diagnose. if you have concerns/chronic medical problems/lung or heart issues/or a decreased immune system with any cold/flu symptoms please check in with your doctor to make sure you’re on the right track.

So, even though flu season is not “officially” upon us (meaning that the number of diagnosed “flu” hasn’t reached 10% in the doctor’s office) a lot of people are starting to come down with flu like symptoms. this means that at some point over the next 3 months most of us will get sick and have some shade of yellow or green goo pouring out of a hole in our head. Good times! It’s helpful if we can arm ourselves with a little information and in a later article, some tricks to minimize the length of time we are sick.

An old belief is that if you are blowing out or coughing up a green phlegm then you need an antibiotic. well, even though it’s gross, if you’re otherwise healthy and it’s only been a few days?…probably not. Virus’ cause green phlegm just as bacteria, but bacteria doesn’t usually show up until you’ve been sick for a while. FYI, antibiotics don’t work on viruses that cause common colds and flu.

What’s the difference between a cold and a flu?

Cold symptoms are: runny nose, sore throat, cough, feverish/chills, yellow/green mucus. You usually feel icky but day 3 can be the worst day as your body is fighting off the virus and depositing it into your lungs and nose in the form of mucus. Usually after the 3rd day, symptoms don’t worsen too much and slowly go away over 1-2 weeks.

Flu symptoms are: this is a virus and causes sudden onset of fever, headache, fatigue, sore throat, body aches, and the every famous yellow/green mucus. the difference is that you are down for the count on day one or sometimes day two. Usually you have a difficult time even getting out of bed because of the fatigue and body aches. these symptoms can last for 5 days or so and then start to level off and decline…but just in time for the nasal congestion and cough which can go on for 1-2 weeks.

At anytime after day 5, you feel worse or fevering, call your doctor. by the way, please buy a thermometer. it gives us a better idea of what’s going on rather than, “I feel hot.” one of the most important things people can do right now when they get sick is drink lots of fluids–non alcoholic, non caffeinated. Hot liquids are great, so breathe in that steam! the air is so dry right now, inside and out, that it is like turning a hair dryer onto that mucus building up in you. Remember this, you will cough/blow your nose as long as you still have mucus, so thin it up and get it out. Plus the longer the mucous stays in your body, the greater your chance of getting a bacteria infection and then needing an antibiotic.

Have you ever wondered why the colder months are also the season for colds and flu? People spend more time indoors, air circulation is poorer, and there is far greater chance of catching airborne germs. put one child with a cold in a room full of other children, and you can create a cold epidemic in just days. 

Once again, cold season has commenced, with coughing, sinus congestion, and the dullness that colds impart. the same is true for flu. Fortunately, natural remedies can help you to battle colds and flu more quickly, and to reduce the severity of symptoms. Here are a few of my favorite, side effect-free natural remedies.

Cauliflower a Day keeps Cold Away

Ginger

Fresh ginger root is my favorite pick for cold care. Buy ginger fresh (preferably organic) and cut a piece about an inch and a half long. Either chop the ginger finely, or grate it. put the finely minced ginger into a tea strainer, and put the tea strainer in a cup. Pour fresh boiling water into the cup. Let the tea sit for five minutes. Remove the tea strainer, and squeeze the ginger with a spoon to get a bit more of the ginger juice into the cup. Flavor with a spoonful of honey, and sip. Ginger contains a group of compounds called sesquiterpenes, which kills rhinoviruses, the agents that cause colds. so when you have a cold, several bracing cups of fresh ginger root tea can help you to reduce the severity and duration of that unwanted event. Ginger tea also helps to relieve a sore throat. Drink three or more cups daily until you are well. for children, dilute the concentration of the tea, so it’s less spicy.

Garlic

Sometimes called the stinking rose, garlic has long occupied a special place in natural healing. this fragrant and pungent member of the allium family enhances overall cardiovascular health, fights various types of cancer cells well, and is a potent immune booster. But garlic goes beyond this, actually killing many of the types of bacteria that cause food poisoning. Heavy use of garlic is prevalent in places and cultures where food preparation hygiene may be poor, and where refrigeration is not always available. Adding fresh-pressed garlic into food, or cooking with garlic, may prevent sickness due to bacterial contamination. and if you have a cold, press a clove of garlic into a cup of hot water, add the juice of a lemon, mix in a teaspoon of honey, and drink it down. this shot to the immune system will help you to get rid of the cold faster.

How to Prevent Cold and Flu

Echinacea

A traditional remedy used by Native Americans, echinacea is also known as purple cone flower. Many human clinical studies have shown that echinacea, a traditional herbal cold remedy, does in fact reduce both the severity and the duration of colds. your best echinacea remedies are those made from fresh echinacea. try the Gaia Herbs brand or the Herb Pharm brand of fluid echinacea extracts, or Echinaforce by a. Vogel. you can also get echinacea as an herbal tea. try Traditional Medicinal’s Echinacea plus.

Essential oils

One way to decongest clogged sinuses is to breathe the vapors of certain aromatic substances including menthol or eucalyptus. the Swiss company Olbas makes a couple of terrific products in this category. One, the Olbas inhaler, contains menthol, oils of peppermint, cajeput and eucalyptol, one of the components of eucalyptus. you just apply the inhaler to your nose, take a nice breath, and the vapors open up the sinuses.

Umcka

When I was conducting plant research in South Africa, I was introduced to a funny-sounding plant called umcka. this is a traditional San tribal name for the South African herb Pelargonium sidoides. Especially when taken at the onset of a cold, umcka can cut the entire misery short. Human clinical studies show that umcka works well. My two favorite brands are umcka by Nature’s Way, and Cold Check by EuroPharma, which contains both umcka and another cold-fighting herb, andrographis.

Oscillococcinum

Don’t even try to pronounce this one! just call it “oscillo” for short. did you know that almost all flu comes from birds, mostly ducks? It’s true. this is why the national flu research center keeps tens of thousands of samples of duck organs in its lab refrigerators. Made from a highly dilute extract of the heart and liver of the Barbary duck, oscillo helps to reduce both the duration and severity of the flu, especially when taken at the first signs of sickness.

When Is the Flu Contagious?

Elderberry

In various human studies, elderberry has demonstrated anti-flu activity. this is due to a group of antioxidant flavonoids in elderberry that bind to the influenza virus and prevent infection. while some health authorities question the real efficacy of elderberry as a flu-fighter, it does demonstrate some value. One study of elderberry extract and the (scary) H1N1 virus showed that the antioxidant compounds in the berries inhibit the proliferation of that virus. while further work must be done on this, the study suggests that at least, elderberry may help to reduce the activity of this flu. Hippocrates, widely recognized as one of the greatest pioneers of medicine, called elder his medicine chest, and he knew what he was talking about.

Chris Kilham is a medicine hunter who researches natural remedies all over the world, from the Amazon to Siberia. he teaches ethnobotany at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he is Explorer in Residence. Chris advises herbal, cosmetic and pharmaceutical companies and is a regular guest on radio and TV programs worldwide. his field research is largely sponsored by Naturex of Avignon, France. Read more at MedicineHunter.com

It’s flu season, and the bug has begun to circle.

Staff at Melissa Memorial Hospital said they haven’t seen any patients with major flu symptoms, but it is beginning to get on the minds of everyone.

Family Practice of Holyoke has held its annual flu clinics, and many people have taken the first step to safeguard themselves against the flu.

Claudia Powell, MMH director of nursing, said even though people receive a flu shot, there is always still a chance they could contract the flu­—it just won’t be as bad as if they had not received the shot.

This year’s flu shot is the same shot that was given last year. two years ago, the shot was completely different after the emergence of the H1N1 flu. The shot people are receiving this year covers H3N2, Influenza B and H1N1 viruses.

Kay Schmidt, LPN, gives a flu vaccination Thursday night, Oct. 27 at SunSet View Community Room. Family Practice of Holyoke held special flu clinics to offer flu shots at a discounted price.??—Enterprise photo

Powell and Pat Notter, RN, said shots are usually administered in October. this year, they said once the shots were received in September, they were told they could go ahead and begin to administer them.

“There’s no pandemic potential this year,” Powell noted.

Everyone, regardless of whether or not they received a shot, should safeguard themselves during flu season.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers its “Take 3” actions to fight the flu.

The first is to take time to get a flu vaccine. Secondly, take everyday preventive actions to stop the spread of germs. these include:

—cover nose and mouth with tissue when coughing or sneezing.

—wash hands often with soap and water. if soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.

—avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth.

—try to avoid close contact with sick people. if sick with flu-like illness, CDC recommends staying home for at least 24 hours after the fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (The fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.)

—while sick, limit contact with others as much as possible to keep from infecting them.

The third action is to take flu antiviral drugs if a doctor prescribes them.

Antiviral drugs are different from antibiotics. They are prescription medicines (pills, liquid or an inhaled powder) and are not available over the counter. The antiviral drugs help treat the symptoms of the illness.

Staying home is a big player in keeping others healthy. those who have been or still are sick, and return to work or school, can easily spread the illness.

“Our society just doesn’t know how to be sick anymore,” Notter said. “They just expect a quick answer and expect it to go away.”

With the holidays coming up, friends and families will gather in larger groups. With flu season in the midst, these times offer a greater chance for the spread of illness, according to Powell and Notter.

Staff at MMH reminds those who are sick or have symptoms, to not visit patients in the hospital. There are stands at entrances of the hospital with hand sanitizer, masks and gloves to help those visiting to stop the spread of illnesses.

Some patients will have signs on their door that state, “Please check with nurse before entering.” Powell said it would be a good idea to follow these instructions.

Signs and symptoms of the flu

Signs and symptoms of the flu include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, fatigue and sometimes diarrhea and vomiting.

Powell said not everyone with the flu will experience vomiting or diarrhea. these two symptoms may be signs of another illness.

People at high risk for developing flu-related complications include children younger than 5, adults 65 years of age and older and pregnant women. Anyone with asthma is also at high risk.

Emergency warning signs in children include fast breathing, not drinking enough fluids, not waking up or interacting, being so irritable that the child does not want to be held, unable to eat, trouble breathing, no tears when crying and significantly fewer wet diapers than normal.

In adults, difficulty breathing or shortness of breath or pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen are warning signs.

“People should never hesitate to call the clinic or hospital if they feel their symptoms are getting worse,” Powell said.

Test Your Flu I.Q.

#1: A flu vaccine can’t give you the flu. answer: True#2: The “stomach flu” and influenza are the same thing. answer: False#3: getting a flu vaccine in December or later is not too late. answer: True#4: Flu viruses change constantly which requires a new flu vaccine to be produced each year. answer: True#5: Washing your hands is the best thing you can do to protect against the flu. answer: False#6: The flu vaccine protects against three strains of flu. answer: True#7: The flu is typically spread through coughs and/or sneezes. answer: True#8: The flu is not a serious illness. answer: False#9: The flu vaccine is available as a shot or a nasal spray. answer: True#10: you can spread the flu to others before you have symptoms. answer: True

Holyoke Enterprise November 3, 2011

SANTA CRUZ — more than two dozen UC Santa Cruz students received an unwelcome visitor during the first week of classes — the stomach flu.

A total of 26 cases of gastroenteritis, commonly called stomach flu, have been reported on campus, and 22 of them came from students living in College 9 or College 10, which are adjacent and share a dining hall.

UCSC has an enrollment of approximately 16,000.

The cause is not known, and the UCSC Health Services is working with Santa Cruz County Health Services on identifying any possible cause.

“We noticed last Friday a cluster of students with acute gastroenteritis,” UCSC Student Health Center Executive Director Mary Knudtson said. “We contacted the rest of campus and contacted the public health department. whenever we see a cluster we work with the health department to identify if it’s a specific virus or bacteria. When we spoke with them, they said the stomach flu was going around the county and not isolated to UCSC.”

An official from County Health Services could not be reached Wednesday to confirm test results on samples from the infected students.

Knudtson said the illness comes on quickly and symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramps, typically last for one to two days. It is suspected that the culprit is a norovirus, a common cause of stomach flu that is found in feces and vomit, and is spread from person to person through contaminated food, water and surfaces.

“You tend to see stuff like this in residential areas, nursing homes, college dorms and other clustered populations. It’s also common on cruise ships.” Knudtson said.

In December 2010, an outbreak of norovirus hit the campus of Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, infecting about 200 students. in 2008, more than 100 people aboard a cruise down the coast of Baja California were infected with the virus.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers the following tips for halting the spread of norovirus:

Wash your hands carefully and frequently with soap and water or use hand sanitizer.

take care in the kitchen. Carefully wash fruits and vegetables and do not prepare food while infected.

Clean and disinfect contaminated surfaces.

Wash laundry thoroughly.

I had cold like symptoms about 3 weeks ago, and now I'm left with grouchy me, constant body pain and incredible chest congestion thats greenish.

H1N1 is not the stomach flu. It is a strain of influenza aka the flu that is mostly respiratory symptoms, body aches, fever. for example….fever, aching, harsh cough, headache