Swine Flu - All about it

Overview


Swine (Pig) flu or H1N1 is a respiratory disease of pigs first described in the 1930s and is common throughout pig populations worldwide. Transmission of the virus from pigs to humans is not common and does not always lead to human influenza often resulting only in the production of antibodies in the blood. People with regular exposure to pigs are at increased risk of swine flu infection. The cases commonly involved pig industry workers or people who came into close contact with infected pigs at country fair.

Like people, pigs can get influenza (flu), but swine flu viruses aren't the same as human flu viruses. In the past, causalities have occurred in the past to those who had direct contact with pigs. But the current swine flu outbreak is different. It's caused by a new swine flu virus that has spread from person to person — and it's happening among people who haven't had any contact with pigs.


Generally, people are tend to cancel their travel plans at the fear of H1N1. As mentioned earlier, human body prepares antibodies in the blood against this virus, you will not be infected, if you are healthy. So, you will be infected, only if you're sick. So, canceling the traveling plans is not needed. The World Health Organization and CDC (Center for Disease Control) currently don't recommend any travel bans or travel restrictions for healthy people. An earlier U.S. advisory against travel to Mexico has been lifted. But if you're sick, health officials want you to stay home. If you have flu-like symptoms, the CDC says you should stay home and avoid travel for seven days after you get sick or for at least 24 hours after you stop having symptoms, whichever is longer.


Why is it so deadly


The swine influenza virus that is causing the 2009 outbreak is a type A influenza virus. There are many sub-types of influenza A. The virus mutates into many forms, so each form of the mutant needs a separate vaccine, which we are unable to do. Some H1N1 viruses only infect pigs. Others infect humans and pigs and birds. Hence, a new influenza vaccine is made every year to keep up with the new H1N1 variations. However, in the present outbreak, the virus has not been changed much into other forms.


How it spreads


The new swine flu virus apparently spreads just like regular flu. You could pick up germs directly from an infected person, or by touching an object they recently touched, and then touching your eyes, mouth, or nose, delivering their germs for your own infection. So, making a habit of washing hands is recommended, even when you're not ill. Flu germs can start spreading up to a day before symptoms start, and for up to seven days after getting infected.


Surprisingly, You can't get swine flu by eating pork, bacon, or other foods that came from pigs.

Symptoms

In pigs, swine flu symptoms can include a sudden onset of fever, coughing, sneezing and a discharge from the nose or eyes. Outbreaks in herds tend to occur during the colder months, and vaccines are available to control its spread in pigs.


In humans, symptoms of swine flu are like regular flu symptoms and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills, and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with swine flu. Those symptoms can also be caused by many other conditions, and that means that you and your doctor can't know, just based on your symptoms, if you've got swine flu. It takes a lab test to tell whether it's swine flu or some other condition.


Precautions

Follow these steps:

* Wash your hands regularly with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing. Or, use an alcohol-based hand cleaner.
* Avoid close contact with sick people.
* Avoid touching your mouth, nose, or eyes.

Got flu symptoms? Stay home, and when you cough or sneeze, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue. Afterward, throw the tissue in the trash and wash your hands.


Vaccine

Since virus mutates rapidly, preaparing But vaccines are being made in large quantities. Clinical trials will begin in August 2009. Depending on how long federal officials wait for the results of these tests, tens of millions of doses of swine flu vaccine could be ready as soon as September 2009, with more vaccine becoming available each month History:

The present Swine Flu outbreak is partially rooted in history, with large influenza epidemics in 1918, 1976 and earlier.

History of swine flu

The present Swine Flu outbreak is partially rooted in history, with large influenza epidemics in 1918, 1976 and earlier.
The 1918 Influenza Epidemic

Called the “Spanish” influenza strain, and classified as pandemic, during 1918 and 1919 it is thought to have infected a third of the world population and caused perhaps as many as 50 million deaths, according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control, which must have been figuratively holding its breath when it admitted deaths could have been nearly double that because many who died during that period were not actually diagnosed, nor were samples taken for lab testing and identification.

In 1918, causes of human flu and its links to avian and swine influenza were not known.

That 91-year-old virus wasn’t killed. It survives as the “ancestor” of the deadly descendants being grappled with today. Indeed, research in the 1930s found its offspring in both pigs and humans and concluded it was related to widespread flu epidemics in 1847 and 1889.

In 1976, an Army recruit at Fort Dix, NJ, complained of feeling tired and weak. He died the next day (Feb. 5) and four other soldiers were soon hospitalized. Health officials attributed the death to swine flu and said the current flu strain was closely related to that of the 1918 epidemic.
Public health officials panicked and urged President Gerald Ford to act. About 24% of the U. S. population was vaccinated.

There was an outbreak of swine flu in the Philippines in 2007.

The numbers from the World Health Organization, by July, showed 77,201 reported swine flu cases, with 332 deaths.