Swine Flu Virus

What is swine flu?
Swine Flu, or swine influenza virus, is caused by Orthomyxoviruses endemic to swine/ pig populations. Swine influenza virus (SIV) strains are named as Influenzavirus C or subtypes of Influenzavirus A. Swine flu Influenzavirus A subtypes are H1N1, H1N2, H3N1, H3N2 and H2N3.

How do you get swine flu?
One obvious way of transmission is through contact with pigs. Another way of getting swine flu is through contact with people. People who have swine flu may transmit the swine flu from person to person.

What are the symptoms of swine flu?
The symptoms of swine influenza virus are fever, confusion, disorientation, stiff joints, vomiting. One of the fatal symptoms of swine flu is the loss of consciousness as this may eventually lead to death.

The swine flu virus mutates and evolves rapidly. New variant strains have evolved. The new strains were found to show resistance to standard antiviral drugs like amantadine and rimantadine for H3N2 in humans. In 2005, the resistance in humans was 91%.

In 2005, the H5Ni virus was known to exits in pigs without showing symptoms. This finding was in Indonesia.

What are the symptoms of swine flu in human beings?
The swine flu epidemic has transmitted across the species. The symptoms of human transmitted swine flu are similar to human flu. The symptoms of swine flu in humans are fever, tiredness, loss of appetite and coughing.

What are swine flu’s more conditions and symptoms?
Other uncommon symptoms of swine flu include runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

How is swine flu transmitted?
The human transmission of swine flu is via contact with molecules that contain the virus. This means that human transmitted swine flu is spread through coughing, sneezing, touching, nose and mouth contact. The swine flu in a human is contagious during the first 5 days of the sickness. Some children and people can remain contagious for the first 10 days.

What is the treatment for swine flu?
In the US, swine flu is treated with amantadine, rimantadine, oseltamivir and zanamivir. However, some strains of swine flu virus have evolved to become resistant to the drugs. CDC recommends treatment with Tamiflu and Relenza.

Where is swine flu prevalent?
In Mexico, the death toll was 86 on April 26, 2009. In Mexico, 1003 were suspected to have been infected with swine flu.

In Kansas, 2 cases of swine flu were reported.

In NYC, there were 8 cases of swine flu.

On April 26, it was reported that in Elyria, Lorain County, northern Ohio, a boy, 9 years old, had the same strain of virus found in the dead victims of swine flu in Mexico. The boy visited Mexico with his relatives. He visited a Mexican farm and several other places in Mexico. His Ely Elementary School has notified parents to watch out for symptoms of swine flu. The boy had a mild case of swine flu and is recovering.

In Canada, 6 swine flu victims were documented.

In New Zealand, there maybe some cases of swine flu.

In Spain, suspected swine flu cases are known.

What were the previous flu epidemics?
1918 - The Spanish flu pandemic.
1957 - The Asian flu epidemic.
1968 - The Hong Kong flu epidemic.

Source.

President Barack Obama visited Mexico and shook hands with Felipe Solis. Mr Solis, an archaeologist, shook hand with Pres. Obama as he received him at the Museum. Solis died 24 hours later from pneumonia. The White House stressed that flu symptoms took 24 - 48 hours for incubation before showing symptoms. Obama has been back from his Mexico visit for 9 days (counting backwards from around April 26) and his health is fine.

Obama’s Mexico visit.

Swine Flu wiki.

Google Map of H1N1 Swine Flu. Please click on the link below.

View H1N1 Swine Flu in a larger map

Track the Swine Flu virus in the USA. Please click on link to see the large map. Google is updating the map very frequently.

Is swine flu spread by eating pork?

The US’s National Pork Board said it was safe to eat pork as though as the meat has been properly cooked. The virus will be killed at temperatures of 160 degrees and higher.

The US pork producers have to protect its industry of $5 billion p.a. Pork producers, handlers, and everyone else down the line are urged to observe proper measures in processing pigs and pork. Farm workers are encouraged to shower before and after work. They should leave their farm footwear and clothing only for use on the farm. This may limit the transmission of virus through material.

In the US, swine flu was not transmitted from swine to human but rather human to human.

Pork and swine flu source.

What are the other countries doing to contain swine flu?
Read CNN’s report.

Updated April 27.
Spain has reported its first case of swine flu. The patient is a young student who had returned from Mexico. The patient has fever and respiratory problems. He has responded well to treatment. Source on Spain’s swine flu.

To be continued when updates are available.


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