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Symptoms of the swine flu have been reported to be very similar to the symptoms of regular seasonal flu appearing each year.
These symptoms include fever, sore throat, cough, body aches, headaches, chills and extreme fatigue. Some people have also reported diarrhea and vomiting. There is currently no immunization against this flu but anti-viral drugs Relenza and Tamiflu have both proven effective in helping to relieve symptoms. It is also important to drink plenty of fluids while ill with any type of flu.
In late April of this year, at the end of what would normally be the flu season – Mexico began reporting a large number of cases of flu like illnesses. Because of the number and the lateness of the year for these types of symptoms, Mexican health professionals began testing patients and identified a new strain of swine flu. The majority of these cases where reported in the area of Mexico City which is currently the largest city in the world.
What is interesting and has been noticed about this flu is that the deaths in Mexico (which are currently confirmed as being 26) have been in young healthy adults. This is different than the flu which during flu season each year normally hits young babies and the elderly the worst. Mexico has confirmed 590 cases, but epidemiologists believe that it is likely that many mild cases occurred in Mexico which were never reported. So as of now they have been unable to determine the severity or fatality rate with this virus.
Swine flu (known as H1N1 virus) is a Type I flu which causes respiratory disease in pigs. This virus has never been known to spread from human to human. This H1N1 virus seems to have developed into a mutation of a human virus combined with the swine virus which has formed a new virus that spreads to humans. Because it is a new virus, a human has no natural resistance or immunity and therefore this virus has the ability to spread rapidly through the population.
H1N1 seems to be contracted exactly in the same ways as seasonal flu virus that occurs each fall and winter. This virus is spread from person to person mainly thru sneezing and coughing by those who are sick or infected by the virus. People can also be infected by touching an object such as a door knob or computer keyboard which has the virus on it and then touching their mouth, eyes or nose.
Some ways to keep from spreading this flu are to wash hands frequently, cough or sneeze into your sleeve or a tissue and dispose of the tissue after use. If you share a work space with anyone, be sure to wipe your desk and computer down with a wipe at the end of the day. If you have flu like symptoms, stay home and contact your family physician. If your child is sick, don’t send them to school or daycare.
H1N1 virus is not transmitted by food. Humans can not get this virus from eating pork or pork products. This virus is not a food born disease.