Swine Flu Information-just thought I'd post it just FYI. I wanted to know some things about it. So please don't be mad if you don't think it's helpful

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention




Key Facts about Swine Influenza (Swine Flu)

Swine Flu
What is Swine Influenza?
Swine Influenza (swine flu) is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza virus that regularly causes outbreaks of influenza in pigs. Swine flu viruses cause high levels of illness and low death rates in pigs. Swine influenza viruses may circulate among swine throughout the year, but most outbreaks occur during the late fall and winter months similar to outbreaks in humans. The classical swine flu virus (an influenza type A H1N1 virus) was first isolated from a pig in 1930.

How many swine flu viruses are there?
Like all influenza viruses, swine flu viruses change constantly. Pigs can be infected by avian influenza and human influenza viruses as well as swine influenza viruses. When influenza viruses from different species infect pigs, the viruses can reassort (i.e. swap genes) and new viruses that are a mix of swine, human and/or avian influenza viruses can emerge. Over the years, different variations of swine flu viruses have emerged. At this time, there are four main influenza type A virus subtypes that have been isolated in pigs: H1N1, H1N2, H3N2, and H3N1. However, most of the recently isolated influenza viruses from pigs have been H1N1 viruses.

Swine Flu in Humans
Can humans catch swine flu?
Swine flu viruses do not normally infect humans. However, sporadic human infections with swine flu have occurred. Most commonly, these cases occur in persons with direct exposure to pigs (e.g. children near pigs at a fair or workers in the swine industry). In addition, there have been documented cases of one person spreading swine flu to others. For example, an outbreak of apparent swine flu infection in pigs in Wisconsin in 1988 resulted in multiple human infections, and, although no community outbreak resulted, there was antibody evidence of virus transmission from the patient to health care workers who had close contact with the patient.

How common is swine flu infection in humans?
In the past, CDC received reports of approximately one human swine influenza virus infection every one to two years in the U.S., but from December 2005 through February 2009, 12 cases of human infection with swine influenza have been reported.
What are the symptoms of swine flu in humans?
The symptoms of swine flu in people are expected to be similar to the symptoms of regular human seasonal influenza and include fever, lethargy, lack of appetite and coughing. Some people with swine flu also have reported runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

Can people catch swine flu from eating pork?
No. Swine influenza viruses are not transmitted by food. You can not get swine influenza from eating pork or pork products. Eating properly handled and cooked pork and pork products is safe. Cooking pork to an internal temperature of 160°F kills the swine flu virus as it does other bacteria and viruses.

How does swine flu spread?
Influenza viruses can be directly transmitted from pigs to people and from people to pigs. Human infection with flu viruses from pigs are most likely to occur when people are in close proximity to infected pigs, such as in pig barns and livestock exhibits housing pigs at fairs. Human-to-human transmission of swine flu can also occur. This is thought to occur in the same way as seasonal flu occurs in people, which is mainly person-to-person transmission through coughing or sneezing of people infected with the influenza virus. People may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose.

What do we know about human-to-human spread of swine flu?
In September 1988, a previously healthy 32-year-old pregnant woman was hospitalized for pneumonia and died 8 days later. A swine H1N1 flu virus was detected. Four days before getting sick, the patient visited a county fair swine exhibition where there was widespread influenza-like illness among the swine.

In follow-up studies, 76% of swine exhibitors tested had antibody evidence of swine flu infection but no serious illnesses were detected among this group. Additional studies suggest that one to three health care personnel who had contact with the patient developed mild influenza-like illnesses with antibody evidence of swine flu infection.

How can human infections with swine influenza be diagnosed?
To diagnose swine influenza A infection, a respiratory specimen would generally need to be collected within the first 4 to 5 days of illness (when an infected person is most likely to be shedding virus). However, some persons, especially children, may shed virus for 10 days or longer. Identification as a swine flu influenza A virus requires sending the specimen to CDC for laboratory testing.
What medications are available to treat swine flu infections in humans?
There are four different antiviral drugs that are licensed for use in the US for the treatment of influenza: amantadine, rimantadine, oseltamivir and zanamivir. While most swine influenza viruses have been susceptible to all four drugs, the most recent swine influenza viruses isolated from humans are resistant to amantadine and rimantadine. At this time, CDC recommends the use of oseltamivir or zanamivir for the treatment and/or prevention of infection with swine influenza viruses.

What other examples of swine flu outbreaks are there?
Probably the most well known is an outbreak of swine flu among soldiers in Fort Dix, New Jersey in 1976. The virus caused disease with x-ray evidence of pneumonia in at least 4 soldiers and 1 death; all of these patients had previously been healthy. The virus was transmitted to close contacts in a basic training environment, with limited transmission outside the basic training group. The virus is thought to have circulated for a month and disappeared. The source of the virus, the exact time of its introduction into Fort Dix, and factors limiting its spread and duration are unknown. The Fort Dix outbreak may have been caused by introduction of an animal virus into a stressed human population in close contact in crowded facilities during the winter. The swine influenza A virus collected from a Fort Dix soldier was named A/New Jersey/76 (Hsw1N1).

Is the H1N1 swine flu virus the same as human H1N1 viruses?
No. The H1N1 swine flu viruses are antigenically very different from human H1N1 viruses and, therefore, vaccines for human seasonal flu would not provide protection from H1N1 swine flu viruses.
Swine Flu in Pigs
How does swine flu spread among pigs?
Swine flu viruses are thought to be spread mostly through close contact among pigs and possibly from contaminated objects moving between infected and uninfected pigs. Herds with continuous swine flu infections and herds that are vaccinated against swine flu may have sporadic disease, or may show only mild or no symptoms of infection.

What are signs of swine flu in pigs?
Signs of swine flu in pigs can include sudden onset of fever, depression, coughing (barking), discharge from the nose or eyes, sneezing, breathing difficulties, eye redness or inflammation, and going off feed.

How common is swine flu among pigs?
H1N1 and H3N2 swine flu viruses are endemic among pig populations in the United States and something that the industry deals with routinely. Outbreaks among pigs normally occur in colder weather months (late fall and winter) and sometimes with the introduction of new pigs into susceptible herds. Studies have shown that the swine flu H1N1 is common throughout pig populations worldwide, with 25 percent of animals showing antibody evidence of infection. In the U.S. studies have shown that 30 percent of the pig population has antibody evidence of having had H1N1 infection. More specifically, 51 percent of pigs in the north-central U.S. have been shown to have antibody evidence of infection with swine H1N1. Human infections with swine flu H1N1 viruses are rare. There is currently no way to differentiate antibody produced in response to flu vaccination in pigs from antibody made in response to pig infections with swine H1N1 influenza.

While H1N1 swine viruses have been known to circulate among pig populations since at least 1930, H3N2 influenza viruses did not begin circulating among US pigs until 1998. The H3N2 viruses initially were introduced into the pig population from humans. The current swine flu H3N2 viruses are closely related to human H3N2 viruses.

Is there a vaccine for swine flu?
Vaccines are available to be given to pigs to prevent swine influenza. There is no vaccine to protect humans from swine flu. The seasonal influenza vaccine will likely help provide partial protection against swine H3N2, but not swine H1N1 viruses.

Sweden has decided to officially call it "The new flu" cause "Swine Flu" has a bad ring... ya think? "Mexican flu" is also out cause it pisses the Mexicans off, but apparently The US WANTS it to be known as "The North American flu"

Teacher said:

So many names all for the same illness

nurseV said:

Exactly. If you don't have people sneezing and coughing all over you and if you're washing your hands regularly....like you're supposed to, then there really shouldn't be a cause for concern. I work in healthcare and everyone is like Nothing to stress out over.



Smooches;)

MsMisha319 said:

Manners is the key-cover your mouth like your mom taught you and wash your hands. If people would do that it would cut down on alot of disease transmissions.

We have 14 reported cases of swine flu now named H1N1 in New Zealand this week. A group of High School students had visited Mexico last week and were quarantined on arrival on Saturday. They have all completely recovered and will return to school on Monday. A storm in a teacup maybe?

RhondaJoyDiva said:

Not really... the number of cases are increasing day by day, thankfully not gaining much speed as of yet, the increase is pretty level.


The funny thing here is that people are buying mouth covers... the kind that will keep a virus in if you're already sick but it won't prevent the contagion

im trying really hard not to get overly excited about this, however, it is definately on my mind. im not sure what's going to happen, but i do know that i am not afraid to change the daily life of my children should it get much closer to home...at this point its about 45 minutes away.


again, i am not in a panic, but i know myself - i will keep my babies home before i run the risk of them becoming ill with something that could kill them

I'll give this another try, apologies to Kel for misposting on her thread


Egypt has ordered ALL pigs to be slaughtered. Dumbasses.

Teacher said:

and im still sad about this... its STILL not their fault


youre cute girl!

nakedpianoplayer said:

Thanks It's honestly never happened to me before, posting on the wrong thread.

And it's even more stupid since the flu no longer infects pigs, only people.

People here are startin to get worried cause our population is so small...
one case can easily spread rapidly and possibly wipe out our entire population

The media is playing on it and making it seem scary.

The swine flu has been around before.

My friend in Berlin says they are calling it "American Flu" in the German press.

How do you get rid of it when you get it if you can't go to the doctor?

Dayclear said:

Drink plenty of fluids, get lots of bed rest, take tylenol, have lots of chicken soup

Its just flu people, drink fluids, rest, it will get better.

CDC says new virus lacks genes of 1918 killer flu


at 17:34 on May 1, 2009, EDT.
By Mike Stobbe, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS


French Marie-Paule Kieny, Director of the Initiative for Vaccine Research of the World Health Oorganisation (WHO), informs the media about the H1N1 Flu during a new global press conference at the World Health Organisation (WHO) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, Friday, May 1, 2009. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS/Keystone, Salvatore Di Nolfi


ATLANTA - The flu virus that has frightened the world is beginning to look a little less ominous.

New York City officials are reporting that the swine flu still has not spread beyond a few schools.

In Mexico, very few relatives of flu victims seem to have caught the virus.

And one flu expert says there's no reason to believe the new virus is a more serious strain than seasonal flu.

It's too soon to draw any definitive conclusions about what this variation of the H1N1 virus will do.

But a U.S. health official says the new flu virus doesn't appear to have the same genes that made the 1918 pandemic flu strain so deadly.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday that the new virus is "a very unusual" four-way combination of genes from human, bird and pig viruses found in North America, Asia and Europe.

CDC flu chief Dr. Nancy Cox said the good news is "we do not see the markers for virulence that were seen in the 1918 virus." Nor does swine flu virus have the virulence traits found in the H5N1 strain of bird flu seen in recent years in Asia and other parts of the world, she said.

"However we know that there is a great deal that we do not understand about the virulence of the 1918 virus or other influenza viruses," that caused serious illnesses, she said. "So we are continuing to learn."

Another CDC official, Dr. Anne Schuchat, said preliminary studies suggest that in U.S. households with an infected person, about a quarter of other family members are getting sick as well. Generally, for seasonal flu, between five per cent and 20 per cent of those exposed to the virus get sick, depending on the setting.

In some pandemics, the rate has been as high as 35 per cent, Cox said.

She noted the CDC has entered the gene information for the new virus into databases that are publicly available.

"A lot of researchers around the world can begin to look at those gene sequences as well, in case they see something we haven't already seen," Cox added.

The global flu epidemic early last century was possibly the deadliest outbreak of all time. The virus was an H1N1 strain - different from the H1N1 strain involved in the current outbreak - and struck mostly healthy young adults. Experts estimate it killed about 40 to 50 million people worldwide.

-

On the Net:

CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu


©The Canadian Press, 2009

Mara said:

That's not true, they call it Schweinegrippe = Swine flu 99% of the time.

The latest thing on the net is to put a flu mask on your avatar

werent we all ment to have died already from Bird Flu in 2006 and SAARs in 2002/3?

i think alot of the worrying is due to the media hype they are creating when bird flu happened more people died from normal flu than they did from bird flu



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[Edited 5/2/09 6:25am]

just stay away from tourist and americans and you will be okay

CNNBREAKINGNEWS said:

CNNBREAKINGNEWS said:

and pigs.

huh. i'd just like to say, um.... ah.... AH CHOOO!@

Hey everybody! ... ... sry...I didn't want to die alone
mmmmuuuuuaaaaahhhhhahahahaha

who gives a grape's ass

b3xy said:

I agree with that

Teacher said:

That's interesting. Being that Egypt is a Muslim country, do they even have swine farms like other countries do? Pork is forbidden in Islam and when I was living in Morocco there wasn't a pig to be seen or served so I was wondering if it's the same in Egypt. It may be that they're ordering all wild swine to be slaughtered, which kinda makes sense. Kinda...but not really. Sounds like they were misinformed.