Add to your...
This is a question that many people are asking since the virus started making people ill in Mexico during April.
Swine flu is a common respiratory illness among pigs and is caused by Type-A flu viruses. Pigs are vaccinated each year against this flu. Most swine flu viruses do not infect humans. But the current swine flu epidemic is different. This flu virus known as H1N1 is a new virus which has DNA from pig flu, bird flu and human flu. This combination forming this new virus does spread from person to person and because humans have no immunity, it can spread worldwide rapidly. The World Health Organization has raised its pandemic alert level to 5 meaning that this virus spreads between humans and has spread to at least two countries and that a worldwide epidemic is imminent.
H1N1 seems to be contracted exactly in the same ways as seasonal flu virus that occurs each fall and winter. This virus is spread from person to person mainly thru sneezing and coughing by those who are sick or infected by the virus. People can also be infected by touching an object such as a door knob or computer keyboard which has the virus on it and then touching their mouth, eyes or nose.
Some ways to keep from spreading this flu are to wash hands frequently, cough or sneeze into your sleeve or a tissue and dispose of the tissue after use. If you share a work space with anyone, be sure to wipe your desk and computer down with a wipe at the end of the day. If you have flu like symptoms, stay home and contact your family physician. If your child is sick, don’t send them to school or daycare.
The symptoms of H1N1 are very similar to the symptoms of seasonal flu. They include fever, sore throat, cough, body aches, headaches, chills and extreme fatigue. Some people also report diarrhea and vomiting. Anti-viral drugs Relenza and Tamiflu have both proven effective in helping to relieve symptoms. It is important to drink plenty of fluids while ill with any type of flu.
H1N1 virus is not transmitted by food. Humans can not get this virus from eating pork or pork products. This virus is not a food born disease.
This virus seems to have originated in Mexico. As of this writing on May 4, Mexico has reported 590 confirmed cases. There have been 26 reported deaths in Mexico. The exact number of cases is not known as only people who were hospitalized have been tested. Epidemiologists believe that it is likely that many mild cases occurred in Mexico which were never reported. So as of now they have been unable to determine the severity or fatality rate with this virus.
There have been 226 confirmed cases reported in 38 states in the United States with one death of a baby who had traveled from Mexico to Texas. Currently there have been no other deaths reported in the US. There is still ongoing testing being done on samples from Mexico and the United States by the Center for Disease Control (CDC).
Currently the World Health Organization has reported 985 confirmed cases in 20 different countries.
No related posts.