What is swine flu?

 

·       Swine Influenza (Swine flu) is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type (A) influenza Viruses that causes regular outbreaks in pigs.

 

·       People do not normally get swine flu, but human infections can and do happen.

 

·       Swine flu Viruses have been reported to spread from person-to-person.

 

Antigenic Shift can happen in three ways:

 

A1 – A duck or other aquatic bird passes a bird strain of influenza A to an intermediate host such as a chicken or pig.

A2 – A person passes a human strain of influenza A to the same chicken or pig. (Note that reassortment can occur in a person who is infected with two flu strains.)

A3 – When the viruses infect the same cell, the genes from the bird strain mix with genes from the human strain to yield a new strain.

A4 – The new strain can spread from the intermediate host to humans.

 

B – Without undergoing genetic change, a bird strain of influenza A can jump directly from a duck or other aquatic bird to humans. The new strain may further evolve to spread from person to person. If so, a flu pandemic could arise.

 

C – Without undergoing genetic change, A bird strain of influenza A can jump directly from a duck or other aquatic bird to an intermediate animal host and then to humans.

 

Possible mediations for the introduction of novel influenza A viruses into the human population, including direct transmissions of entire bird or swine viruses or trans mission of reasserting viruses.

 

Is This Swine Flu Virus Contagious?

 

-         CDC has determined that this swine influenza A (H1N1) virus is contagious and is spreading from human to human.

 

 

 

What are the signs and symptoms of swine flu in people?

-         The symptoms of swine flu in people are similar to the symptoms of regular human flu and include fever, cough, sore, throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue.

-         Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with swine flu.

-         Pneumonia and respiratory failure and deaths have been reported with swine flu infection in people.

 

 

 

How does swine flu spread?

-         Flu viruses are spread mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing of people with influenza.

-         People may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose.

 

Can I get swine influenza from eating or preparing pork?

-         No. Swine influenza viruses are not spread by food.

 

How can someone with the flu infect someone else?

-         Infected people may be able to infect others beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 7 or more days after becoming sick.

 

 

What should I do to keep from getting the flu?

-         Wash your hands.

-         Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, and manage your stress.

-         Try not touch surfaces that may be contaminated with the flu virus.

-         Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

 

“WASH, WIPE, COVER …. Don’t infect another!”

 

Are there medicines to treat swine flu?

-         Oseltamivir or Zanamivir for the treatment and/or prevention of infection with these swine influenza viruses.

 

 

How long can an infected person spread swine flu to others?

-         People with swine influenza virus infection should be considered potentially contagious as long as they are symptomatic and possible for up to 7 days following illness onset.

-         Children, especially younger children, might potentially be contagious for longer periods.

 

What surfaces are most likely to be sources of contamination?

-         Germs can be spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth. Droplets from a cough or sneeze of an infected person move through the air.

-         Germs can be spread when a person touches respiratory droplets from another person on a surface like a desk and then touches their own eyes, mouth or nose before washing their hands.

 

What can I do to protect myself from getting sick?

There is no vaccine available right now to protect against swine flu. You can protect yourself by:

-         Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.

-         Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.

-         Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.

-         Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

-         If you get sick with influenza, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

 

 

 

In Children emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

-         Fast breathing or trouble breathing.

-         Bluish skin color.

-         Not drinking enough fluids.

-         Not waking up or not interacting.

-         Being so irritable that the child doesn’t want to be held.

-         Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough.

-         Fever with a rash.

 

In adults, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

-         Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath.

-         Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen.

-         Sudden dizziness.

-         Confusion.

-         Severe or persistent vomiting.