ALL ABOUT SWINE FLU

ALL ABOUT SWINE FLU

(Courtesy : Apollo Hospitals Group)

Please share freely in Public interest.

The swine flu alert sweeping across the globe has health organisations doing their

best to prevent a full-blown pandemic. The challenge for them is to prevent the virus

from crossing borders and infecting other populations.

What is Swine Flu?

Swine flu is a form of influenza that is caused by strains of virus that usually infects

pigs. Transmission of the swine flu virus from pigs to humans is not common, though

there have been some reported cases earlier among people who work in close

proximity with pigs. Since the mid-twentieth century, only about fifty such

transmissions have been reported, the spread and disappearance being more

localized.

But the current strain of the microbe is resilient and fast-moving, and what’s even

more worrying is that it spreads from human-to-human contact, unlike the earlier

reported cases. This means that none of us are immune to the possibility of

infection.

Diagnosis

Since symptoms mimic those for common flu, for a layperson, it is hard to tell them

apart. !edically, the virus is diagnosed by: (1) Throat/ nasopharyngeal swab, and (2)

blood samples for the antibodies.

Treatment

If diagnosed early, swine flu is easy to treat, so there is no need for panic. The US

Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the WHO recommend the use of

Tamiflu (oseltamivir) or Relenza (zanamivir) for treating swine flu. Besides antivirals,

palliative care focused on controlling fevers and maintaining fluid balance goes a

long way to ensure recovery. In fact, the majority of people infected with swine flu

make a full recovery without requiring medical intervention or antiviral drugs.

What You Need to Know?

1. How do symptoms of swine flu differ from other types of flu?

Not much. The basic symptoms for swine flu are similar to the seasonal flu, which

may include, fever, sore throat, cough, stuffy nose, chills, headache and body aches,

and fatigue, and sometimes, vomiting and diarrhoea.

2. Is there medication or a vaccine for swine flu?

The vaccine is being developed and will not be available for the next several months.

!edications are available not only to treat the infection but also to prevent the

disease. But these medications need to be used under a physician’s guidance.

3. How can human infections with swine influenza be diagnosed?

To diagnose swine influenza a infection, a respiratory specimen would 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 7 days or longer.

4. Is it safe to travel?

As of now there are no travel restrictions. Limiting travel would have little effect on

stopping the virus from spreading, but would be highly disruptive to the global

community. The focus now is on minimizing the impact of the virus.

Prevention of Swine FLU

Swine flu is a form of influenza that is caused by strains of virus that usually infects

pigs. Transmission of the swine flu virus from pigs to humans is not common, though

there have been some reported cases earlier among people who work in close

proximity with pigs.

Since the mid-twentieth century, only about fifty such transmissions have been

reported, the spread and disappearance being more localized.

Prevention in swine

1. Facility management

2. Herd management

3. Vaccination

Prevention of transmission to humans

1. Use a face mask when dealing with infected animals.

2. Wearing gloves when working with sick animals

Prevention of human to human transmission

1. Frequent washing of hands with soap and water or with alcohol based hand

sensitizers

2. Anyone with flu-like symptoms such as sudden fever, cough or muscle aches

should stay away from work or public transportation, and contact a doctor to be

tested.

Courtesy : Apollo Hospitals Group