Swine Flu

Swine Flu Scare in Ahmedabad :
The pandemic spread of swine flu cases have been in the media lime light across the globe. Though, so far Gujarat had remained untouched with no reported cases of swine flu. However, the recent swine flu scare in Ahmedabad, caused major panic as airports authorities, already on alert, swung into action for quarantining suspected patients and health departments geared up for eventualities. A 30-year-old woman, was admitted to VS hospital where she has been kept in the isolation ward.
Let us take a close look at what exactly is swine flu and other elated information.

What is Swine Flu(H1N1) :
The new virus referred as H1N1 in medical parlance and commonly as Swine flu, is a new influenza virus causing illness in people. It was first detected in people in the United States in April 2009 and soon after patients reported sick with the new virus in Mexico and Canada. The virus spreads from person to person just as is the case with regular cases of influenza. The origin of the disease, though, is till under investigation.

Why the Name Swine Flu :
This disease is commonly called “swine flu” because laboratory tests showed that many of the genes in this new virus were very similar to influenza viruses that normally occur in pigs in North America. However, it is now emerged that it has genes from flu viruses that infect pigs in Europe and Asia , avian genes and human genes as well. Scientists call this a "quadruple reassortant" virus.
Swine flu viruses do not normally infect humans. However, there has been sporadic cases where H1N1 originated from pigs and then at some point was transmitted to humans.

The origin of then Virus :
Pigs can be infected by avian, human and swine influenza viruses. When influenza viruses from different species infect pigs, the viruses can rearrange their genes through mutation and new ones emerge that are a mixture of swine, human and/or avian influenza viruses. Therefore, pigs act as a “mixing pot” of different viruses and human influenza viruses, which may lead to the emergence of potential new human influenza viruses.

Can You Catch it from Pigs :
No. This Swine flu strain is one that is communicable through human-to-human contact. It is a mutated form of a swine virus.

Signs and Symptoms of Swine Flu :
The symptoms of Swine flu similar to the symptoms of seasonal flu and include high temperatures, coughing, sore throat, runny nose, body aches, chills and tiredness. Also, diarrhea and vomiting are other reported symptoms in people infected with swine flu. The virus spreads mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing and people may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it.

Medicines :
The drugs oseltamivir (Tamiflu) or zanamivir (Relenza) for the treatment and/or prevention of infection with novel H1N1 flu virus is commonly used under a doctor's prescription. During the current outbreak, the priority use for influenza antiviral drugs is to treat severe influenza illness.

Vaccination :
At present there are no vaccines that can contain the novel swine flu virus. It is not known whether current human seasonal influenza vaccines can provide any protection. Influenza viruses change very quickly.

Precautions :
1. Use a tissue when you cough or sneeze and dispose it off properly in the trash
2. informed through articles like this/news/alerts on TV, Internet, Newspaper
3. Wash your hands with Alcohol-based hand cleaners after a coughing sneezing bout.
4. Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
5. Confine yourself to your home if you are sick for 7 days after your symptoms begin or until you have been symptom-free for 24 hours and avoid contact with people as far -as possible
6. Public health departments of countries across the globe have been issuing alerts and and advices on the pandemic such as on air travel, school closure etc. Pay attention to them and act accordingly.

Conclusion :
According to World Health Organization, WHO, the overall intensity of the influenza pandemics moderate and is based on scientific evidence available to WHO, as well as reports from its Member States on the pandemic's impact on their health systems, and their social and economic functioning. Thus WHO concludes that most people recover from infection without the need for hospitalization or medical care and overall, national levels of severe illness from influenza A(H1N1) appear similar to levels seen during local seasonal influenza periods. Also, large outbreaks of disease have not yet been reported in many countries, and the full clinical spectrum of disease is not yet known.