H1N1 Swine Flu 2009 Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Swine Flu and How Can You Protect Yourself?
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swine fluinfluenzainfectious diseasespandemicProtect yourself from swine flu.Microsoft Image Gallery
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fear of swine flu.
What is swine flu?
The swine flu is a strain of virus that pigs contract and transmit. The swine flu of interest in 2009 is the H1N1 strain, which can be passed from pigs to human beings. It was first identified in pigs in 1930. Now it is causing illness in humans, with the potential of reaching
pandemic levels.
What does H1N1 Influenza A mean?
The official,
scientific name for swine flu, its serologic classification, is H1N1 Influenza A. The H means hemagglutinin and the N means neuraminidase and the 1s refer to their antibody type. Influenza A is a genus of the Orthomyxoviridae family of viruses, and refers to the fact that the virus is first identified in an animal, usually a pig or a bird. When put together, they describe the 2009 swine flu virus.
Why is this flu different from other flus?
There are thousands of different kinds of viruses that can cause the flu. New strains develop frequently and each one is different from the one before it. The seasonal flu is actually comprised of several different strains of flu. Swine flu is a new, different strain, as described above.
What are the swine flu stages I keep hearing about?
The World Health Organization, WHO, developed a plan to respond to health emergencies, like swine flu, which have the potential to become
pandemic. Each stage represents a different level of response. For example, Stage 4 means that the disease can no longer be contained inside any specific country, therefore governments must take steps to handle community spread of the disease. If we get there,
Stages 5-6 will indicate the swine flu has become pandemic. You can
follow WHO swine flu staging for changes and updates.
What exactly is a pandemic?
WHO defines a pandemic along those stages mentioned above. They describe the prevalence of the disease, across populations and countries. There is a
difference between a pandemic and an epidemic.
I keep hearing "swine flu" and "avian flu" in the same sentence. What's that all about?
Avian flu is another name for bird flu. This pairing is heard as "swine, avian, human" and refers to the fact that this flu strain seems to be a combination of all three.
How is the swine flu transmitted?
The swine flu is transmitted just the way any viral disease is transmitted -- person-to-person contact, by touching something someone with a virus has already touched, or from droplets in the air which come from a sneeze or a cough of a person who has the swine flu.
What are the symptoms of swine flu?
Symptoms of swine flu are the same as typical flu symptoms. Fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue are the most prevalent symptoms. Some patients report diarrhea and vomiting, too.
Do people die from swine flu?
People can die, but most do not.
Is there a swine flu vaccine like seasonal flu vaccine?
No. The CDC and WHO report there is no vaccine available for this strain of swine flu. A vaccine may be developed, but if so, it will not be available until Fall 2009.
There are many spam emails circulating that claim a vaccine is available. Since this strain, the H1N1 strain, is only weeks old, it would be impossible for a vaccine to have been developed. Any claims to the contrary would likely be
counterfeit.
Is it possible to track swine flu outbreaks?
Yes. There are a number of ways to
track incidents of swine flu across the world.
You and Swine Flu
I never come into contact with pigs. Am I safe from swine flu?
No. This is a
myth. Transmission of the virus doesn't require you to come into contact with pigs. It can pass from one human to another. According to the CDC, there is some evidence that people who do come into contact regularly with pigs may be immune to the swine flu.
People in Mexico have died from swine flu, but I don't live anywhere near Mexico. Am I safe?
No. This is
another myth. Any contagious disease can easily be transmitted around the world within a very short period of time because people don't stay in one place. Vacationers and business travelers may go to or leave Mexico or any other area where flu is prevalent. Any of them may have been exposed to the flu. If they are contagious, they may transmit the virus on planes, trains, in airports or other travel-related places, exposing others.
I got a flu shot. Am I protected?
Health officials say that a seasonal flu shot (which addresses different strains of flu) will not protect us from the swine flu. The seasonal flu shot was developed to combat strains that are not related to the swine flu strain, H1N1.
If I think I have the swine flu, what should I do?
If you find yourself with flu-like symptoms, contact your doctor's office immediately and
stay home from work or school. It may be the swine flu, or it could be seasonal flu, or any upper respiratory problem. Let your doctor figure that out for you.
Don't just show up at your doctor's office. Call first, to make an appointment. If others have symptoms, you don't want to be in the waiting room with them and your doctor will know how to be sure the illness can't pass in the waiting room.
There are some prescription drugs that your doctor may recommend that can make the illness easier to tolerate, and may help you avoid complications. Those drugs must be started within 48 hours of symptoms onset to be effective. A report from
Bloomberg about the deaths in Mexico stated that most of the people who died did not seek medical attention until later stages of the disease.
Make sure you cover your mouth and nose if you cough or sneeze using a tissue or your sleeve -- not your hands. You don't want to transmit it to others.
