Health Care

By Simon Hess

Swine Flu was declared a pandemic on 11th June 2009. Margaret Chen, Director-General of The World Health Organization announced that the virus had been raised from a phase 5 to a phase 6 emergency.

Over 30,000 people have been infected worldwide and at the time of writing this article, 163 people have died.

So what should you know about the Swine Flu Pandemic:

1) The virus spreads exactly the same way as seasonal influenza. It can be contracted by coming in to contact with someone who is infected and through them coughing and sneezing.

2) Pigs as well as humans were heavily infected during the influenza epidemic of 1918. Hence the name "Swine Flu". However, the human immune system is less able to cope with this disease. An important point to note is that you cannot contract the influenza bug from eating pork or ham based products.

3) Seasonal influenza mainly attacks young children and the elderly. The majority of reported cases of swine flu has infected people aged from 5 to 65 and the largest percentage are aged 30-44.

4) This is fourth flu pandemic to be reported in the last 100 years. Spanish, Asian and Hong Kong Flu are the previous three. It is estimated that the previous 3 influenza world alerts caused up to 53 million deaths.

5) The Symptoms of the Swine Flu Pandemic include, coughs, sore throat, high fever, headaches, body aches, high fever and respiratory problems.

The Obama Administration are currently working in conjunction with the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention on a new vaccination. It is believed that this should be ready by the fall.

Are you worried that the Swine Flu Pandemic may be heading your way?

For further information and access to the Swine Flu Survival Guide please Click Here.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Simon_Hess

by Raymond Koen

What is Swine Influenza?

Swine influenza (Swine flu) refers to influenza cases that are caused by Orthomyxoviruses endemic to populations of pigs. The viruses are referred to as Swine influenza viruses (SIV). The distinction is not based on phylogeny. SIV strains isolated to date have been classified either as Influenzavirus C or one of the various subtypes of the genus Influenzavirus A.

Swine Influenza, unlike bird flu, is able to pass from human to human contact.

Influenza A virus subtypes H1N1, H1N2, H3N1 and H3N2 are all known to cause SIV infections.Also recently H2N3.[5]

Swine flu is usually diagnosed only in pigs or people in regular contact with them. Swine Flu is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza. Swine flu is caused by a virus similar to the regular flu virus that circulates in people every year, but is a strain that is typically found only in pigs or in people who have direct contact with pigs. Swine flu is an infamous disease in public health circles.

Is Swine Influenza a Threats to Human?

See the video below may give you some ideas on the urgency of this matters:


Although immunity to swine H1N1 viruses is low in the human population, ahigh proportion of persons occupationally exposed to pigs (such as pig farmers or pig veterinarians) have been shown in several studies to have antibody evidence of prior swine H1N1 flu infection. And, for swine H1N1 viruses, only rare person-to-person transmission has been documented in the past. At least 854 people have been sickened and 62 have died from flu-like illness in Mexico City and two other locations in Mexico, prompting fears of an outbreak of swine flu, officials said today. An unusual strain of swine flu has been detected among victims of a large outbreak of a severe respiratory illness in Mexico, prompting global health officials, fearful of a potential flu pandemic, to scramble yesterday to try to contain the virus. Mexico City on alert over swine flu outbreak CNN.

How to Prevent Swine Flu?

Citizens can do a lot to help prevent swine flu virus from spreading. More education and awareness is needed. Persuade your family and friends to follow some reasonable guidelines. Do not panic, throughout history many small outbreaks have not turned into pandemics.

Stay at home and avoid exposure to open air, otherwise you should wearing a swine flu masks to protect yourself from virus spreading in the public places. As in Mexico, while bars and nightclubs filled up as usual, even some teenagers were dancing with surgical masks on. Face masks mighthelp reduce transmission in swine influenza pandemic.

Plenty of sleep, rest, and good food might also help to increase your immunity.

About the Author

It's recommended to wear swine flu masks to protect yourself from swine influenza virus spreading in the public places.