Last week, it was hardly in the news. Today, just a couple of days later, it has got everyone talking. With the dead count having crossed 150, and counting, swine flu indeed looks threatening. Here's themedguru low-down on the possible pandemic.
These were not the originating sites of the outbreak; the disease originated in Mexico and infected thousands of people, resulting in over 150 casualties. While the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) has not yet tagged this as a pandemic, there is a great degree of alarm the world over, as the disease is easy to catch and the symptoms are just like those of any other flu.
What is Swine Flu?
According to the CDC, swine flu or swine influenza, is a respiratory disease in pigs caused by type A influenza virus belonging to the Orthomyxoviridae family. Apart from type A swine flu, there is also the type C swine flu virus, though this strain is rare.
The subtypes of the influenza A virus that cause swine flu are H1N1, H1N2, H3N1, H3N2, and also H2N3. The three most commonly seen strains are H1N1, H1N2, and H3N2. A swine flu outbreak of the kind we have witnessed recently is not common among humans, though it is quite common among pigs. Among people, swine flu occurs as a result of contact with pigs, usually at pig farms.
The recent swine flu outbreak is also not the first time this kind of an outbreak has happened. According to the CDC, an earlier instance of multiple human infection occurred in Wisconsin in 1988, though it was a limited outbreak. On average, there have been reports of one case of human swine flu every one or two years. This number has increased to 12 infections between December 2005 and February 2009.
How Swine Flu Spreads Among Humans
The disease can spread from human to human. A person may contract the disease if he is around a pig carrying the infection, and this person may, in turn, pass it on to other people the same way we pass on the regular flu virus – through the air, or through coming in contact with an infected person.
Symptoms of Swine Flu
CDC reports suggest that the symptoms of swine flu are similar to any other forms of flu. This is what makes an immediate diagnosis based only on the symptoms difficult. That is why the factor of exposure to pigs is also to be considered while arriving at a diagnosis of swine flu.
The common symptoms associated with swine flu are runny nose, sore throat, cough, fever, headache and body ache, and a general feeling of fatigue. The patient may also experience chills. To confirm that a person is indeed suffering from swine flu, a throat and nose swab is required. The swab has to be taken within four to five days of the onset of the illness.
Treating Swine Flu
Currently, the best way to treat swine flu among humans is to get into prevention mode. Taking certain precautions daily hugely reduces the chances of contracting swine flu.
Preventive measures include:
• Covering your mouth and nose while sneezing or coughing to ensure you do not transmit germs to others
• Washing your hands and face frequently with soap or alcohol based cleaners, especially after you cough or sneeze
• Avoiding contact with infected persons
• Regulating your travel to ensure you do not, at this time, visit countries where the outbreak has been reported
• Avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
Vaccine for swine flu in humans is not available yet. The CDC says that out of the four antiviral drugs that have a license in the country – amantadine, oseltamivir, zanamivir, and rimantadine – the virus responsible for the recent outbreak of swine flu is resistant to two – rimantadine and amantadine.
Currently, the antiviral drugs being recommended for treatment of swine flu are oseltamivir and zanamivir.
Doctors are of the opinion that a vaccine exclusively for swine flu will take as many as six more months to be developed.
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