Swine Flu

Swine flu is termed because the virus that first caused disease had originated from
pigs. Swine flu has spread to more than twenty countries across the world.

Facts :

• Swine flu is an acute respiratory virus. It spreads through the medium of air.
• Swine flue also referred to as H1N1 and swine influenza is caused by the swine influenza virus.
• Symptoms of Swine flu resemble those of the seasonal flu such as coughing, sore throat, fever, chills, extreme tiredness, muscle aches, and diarrhea.
• Swine flu first surfaced in April 2009. It affected millions of people and then in June 2009, it was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
• Swine flu spreads rapidly and the mortality ratio is relatively low.
• WHO has assigned pandemic alert level 5 to swine flu. This level indicates that human to a human outbreak of swine flu is high.
• An interesting fact is that many virologists and scientists have the view that the H1N1 virus may not have evolved naturally and was created in a laboratory!
• People with a weak immune system are at high risk of contacting swine flu.
• According to the World Health Organization, it is a fact that if a healthy person with a good immune system is infected by swine flu, he can recover within a week.
• Swine flu is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by one of many influenza viruses. 
•  The disease is spread among pigs by direct and indirect contact that are infected but do not have symptoms.

Causes of Swine Flu :

There are only a few causes of Swine flu in humans.

• Contact with infected pigs: This is the most common way of catching swine flu. Any contact with infected pigs makes transmission more likely.

• Contact with infected humans: This is a much less common way of catching Swine flu, but is a risk, especially for those in close contact with an infected person.

Risk Factors :

Some people are more at risk of catching swine flu than others.
- People aged over 65 years.
- Children under 5 years.
- People with chronic diseases.
- Pregnant women.
- Teenagers receiving long-term aspirin therapy
- Anyone with a compromised immune system.

Symptoms :

The symptoms of Swine flu in humans are quite similar to those of regular flu and include:

1.  Body aches Chill Cough 
2.  Headache
3.  Sore Throat
4.  Fever higher than 100° F
5. Tiredness
6. Vomiting and diarrhea
7. Chest congestion 
8. Running nose
9. Pain in the muscles

Complications of Swine flu :

•  Worsening of existing chronic conditions, such as heart disease and asthma.
•  Pneumonia
•  Neurological signs and symptoms, ranging from confusion to seizures.
•  Respiratory failure

Diagnosis :

• Swine flu is mostly diagnosed by noting the symptoms.
• There is a quick test called the rapid influenza diagnostic test that can help identify swine flu.
•  However, in a similar way to seasonal flu, symptoms are often mild and self-resolving.
•  Most people do not receive a test for swine flu as treatment would be the same, regardless of the outcome.
• If symptoms are mild, it is extremely unlikely that any connection to Swine influenza is found, even if the virus is there.

Home Remedies :

• Washing hands regularly with soap 
•  Getting plenty of sleep 
•  Exercising often
• Managing stress
• Drinking liquids 
• Eating a balanced diet
•  Refraining from touching surfaces that may have the virus.
•  Do not get close to people who are sick. Be sure to stay away from crowds if there is a Swine flu outbreak in your area.

Reduce the spread of infection :

• Limit contact with other people
•   Do not go to work or school
• When coughing or sneezing cover the mouth with a tissue. Cover the mouth & nose.
• Put used tissues in a trash can
• Wash the hands and face regularly.
• Keep all surfaces that are touched clean 
•  Follow the doctor’s instructions.

Vaccine :

• A vaccine has been produced to protect humans against the H1N1 strain of Swine flu.
• The status of Swine flu has changed from a pandemic to a seasonal type of human influenza
• People who are over 10 years old only require one shot of the vaccine.
• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends two shots for children under this age, to be taken four weeks apart.
•  People with an egg allergy and children with severe asthma are at risk of an adverse
• reaction to this vaccine and should discuss the shot with a healthcare professional.

Treatment :

• There are some drugs available that can effectively treat Swine flu
• The two main treatments are adamantanes, including amantadine and rimantadine and medications that inhibit the influenza neuraminidase protein, such as oseltamivir and zanamivir.
• However, most people with Swine influenza recover completely without the need for medical attention.