Swine flu alert
Swine flu: Who is at risk? What are the symptoms?
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Q: What is swine flu?
A: Much the same as human flu – but in pigs. The worry is that pigs are excellent hosts for the virus. And because they are genetically close to humans, they can pass the virus to us more easily than birds can. The great fear over the past decade has been that the avian flu virus, H5N1, would infect pigs which would act as a reservoir for its transmission to humans. Luckily for the world, apart from a few isolated outbreaks, this did not happen.
Q: How worried should we be?
A: At this stage, no one knows. The virus that has caused the outbreak is a strain of the H1N1 type that contains bird, pig and human genes in a combination never seen before. Immunity to it will thus be limited. Scientists are working to establish the precise nature of the virus, the symptoms it causes and its capacity to cause disease and death.
Q Has swine flu infected humans before?
A: Yes. There have been rare cases since the 1950s, mostly in people such as farmers who work directly with pigs. In Europe, 17 cases have been reported since 1958. In the US, an outbreak at a military camp in New Jersey in 1976, infected over 200 soldiers, of which 12 were hospitalised and one died.
Q What are the symptoms of swine flu?
A: Similar to ordinary human flu – cough, sudden fever, headache, muscle pains. In severe cases, it may lead to pneumonia, multi-organ failure, and death. The incubation period for ordinary human flu is two to five days.
Q: Can it be treated?
A: Yes – up to a point. Early indications are that patients in Mexico and the US have been successfully treated with the antiviral drugs Tamiflu and Relenza. These drugs cannot prevent flu but they can limit its severity, and thus save lives, if taken as soon as symptoms develop. However, the swine flu has proved resistant to older anti-virals such as amantadine.
Q: Is Britain prepared for a pandemic?
A: Better than it was five years ago. A pandemic plan has been prepared detailing action by everyone from pharmacists, who will hand out anti-viral drugs, to hospitals handling the seriously ill, to mortuaries which may have to be temporarily expanded. Over 14 million courses of Tamiflu have been stockpiled and the Government announced last year it was doubling the amount to provide enough for half the population.
Q: How bad might a pandemic be?
A: At its worst, it could have a devastating global impact, greater than a terrorist attack, nuclear accident or environmental disaster. The World Health Organisation estimates that a mild pandemic could cause up to 7.5 million deaths. In the UK, Sir Liam Donaldson, the Government's Chief Medical Officer, has said that in the worst case scenario the country could face up to 750,000 deaths. However, in the flu pandemics of 1957 and 1968 most victims recovered. There was no panic, cities did not empty, travel did not come to a halt and economies weren't devastated. Each of those pandemics killed 50,000 people in the UK and around one million worldwide. In a normal year, flu kills 12,000 to 20,000 mainly elderly people in Britain and 250,000 around the world.
Q: Who is at greatest risk?
A: In Mexico, the virus appears to be targeting those aged 20 to 40. This is not unusual – the same occurred during the worst pandemic of the last century, in 1918, when 20 to 40 million people died. Young healthy people with strong immune systems react most powerfully to the virus but the very strength of their reaction produces inflammation and secretions in the lungs which can be overwhelming. In the US, the virus appears to be targeting children who are suffering only mild illness. The difference in the two countries is so far unexplained. One hypothesis is that a second virus may be circulating in Mexico which is interacting with the swine flu virus to produce more severe symptoms.
Q: How can I protect my family?
A: By acquiring a stock of anti-viral drugs such as Tamiflu or Relenza, available only on prescription at an NHS cost of around £20 for a course of 10 doses (enough for one person). Otherwise, the best defence is strict personal hygiene. It is hard to better the advice printed by the 'News Of the World' on 3 November 1918: "Wash inside nose with soap and water night and morning; force yourself to sneeze night and morning, then breathe deeply. Do not wear a muffler, take sharp walks regularly and walk home from work; eat plenty of porridge." Porridge is, of course, a known cure-all – but the rest of the advice holds as true today as it did then.
Q: Is there a vaccine against it?
A: Not in humans (there is in pigs). Ordinary seasonal flu vaccine for humans might offer some protection because there are similarities between the H1N1 human flu viruses and the new H1N1 pig flu virus. Investigations are under way to see if the seasonal vaccine would have a protective effect but those will "take some time".
Q: Why has this outbreak started in Mexico and the US?
A: No one knows, but it is certainly a surprise. The next threat was expected to come from the Far East. Avian flu has spread through poultry populations, and 400 humans have been infected, 250 of whom have died. Health experts warned that a small mutation to the virus could turn a rare but lethal disease into one which could threaten the entire planet. Now, the threat has emerged – but on the other side of the world.
Q: Is it safe to eat pork?
A: Yes. Cooking destroys the virus.
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Comments
Any ideas?
G.P.M.
A: Yes. Cooking destroys the virus.
if cooking destroys the virus then why millions of birds were killed when there was bird flu errupt???
And to hashmi199, they killed the birds to limit the spread of the disease from living bird, to living bird, or living human. NOT because they were worried about the birds spreading the virus during the consumption of a properly cooked bird. And how disgusting that we "cook birds" in the first place.
Chris
Hashmi199, they killed the birds to limit the spread of the disease from living bird, to living bird, or living human. NOT because they were worried about the birds spreading the virus during the consumption of a properly cooked bird. And how disgusting that we "cook birds" in the first place.
Chris
Wasn't the world supposed to have been wiped out by aviary fever 4 years ago? Few birds died consequentially from the flu but our health authorities and others around the world destroyed hundred of thousands of healthy birds out of fear of 'worldwide epidemic'. Even many of my colleagues avoided me for my inveterate (they call it irrational) love for swans which I visit regularly at Lake Geneva. I am still here today, and can you believe it, still writing.
I hope this is not a hocus-pocus to make us forget that Wall Street, The City and the politicians are far more inimical to our existence than any flu, be it caused by swine, bird or apes!
P.S:- I'd go to your doctor, you can't be arrogant when it comes to your health.
This article is saying nothing new about swine flue or any flue today: At the moment, I have a flue which has lasted a good three weeks and is still running. I started with a soar throat, which lasted four days- just about when I was thinking that the worst was over, the illness came back with a vengeance, attacking the lungs. I developed a very sever flue symptoms together with stomach pains. These symptoms did not subside for two weeks. The virus infected my sinuses, ears, chest and my digestive system. I could not lower my head for the pain in my temples. After two weeks the chest is cleared but the virus has gone back to working on my throat and sinuses again. Although, I am not a doctor; to allow three days period for a flue to run its full course is an underestimation. The other point is that the new flue attacks all organs in the body including stomach and digestive system. when I was younger, a flue used to be a nosey, ear y and chesty thing. Of course, other people are reporting the same thing to me when I ask about their flue. It is the same thing for the younger people too. So, what is a flue and how long is it supposed to last? It looks like we could not judge a flue by the old days' standards.
I never take medicine lightly. The vegetable cough medicine, bought over the counter has proved to be excellent. The best anti viral, anti inflammation and anti bacterial medicine I have tried and recommend it, is a teaspoon of Manuka honey mixed with a clove of garlic every day. Before breakfast.
Regards,
Tizab
not so long ago it was bird flu that was set to wipe out millions of people, but it would seem that as soon as media coverage ceased, the flu disappeared!
Of course, if these defences work the commentards will say it was all a panic over nothing, if they don't the same idiots will ask why we didn't close our borders at the first sneeze.
@sturdy1992: there's a flaw in your logic - just because the reporting stopped doesn't mean the problem went away. The media stop reporting when they get bored with a story or something more interesting happens, and resources are redeployed to the new story, not because it ended, especially if it's mostly happening thousands of miles away. The best example of this is famine in Africa, reported each time like it's a new story.
the media stopped covering the bird flu epidemic as soon as they got bored with the story, like you say.
And in reports since, the flu that was set to kill millions of people worldwide, or so the media said, has pretty much gone as soon as it started. so my point was that the media exaggerate until everyone thinks they are going to die, then as soon as that stops, everyone forgets about it.
Avoid cold foods prepared outside the home. The virus is killed by heat not cold.
Wash your hands and face - washing won't kill the virus but it will sluice it away.
Some (but only a few) hand cleaners will kill the virus. Clean is not the same as sterile!
Do not share towels or drink from the same cup/bottle etc.
Ordinary household bleach and Dettol all contain powerful agents which destroy the virus. Put a small amount of whichever is most appropriate in the washing up, the clothes wash, the floor wash etc. Wash surfaces which may be contaminated BUT do be very careful when wiping even dilute bleach onto electrical appliances and switches. Think about how your work and social habits might be changed. Get your flu jabs. Be alert to the problems and don't go sneezing in public in case you may be seen as health a threat to others!
luv jacquline almeida xx
In this case virus sometimes unexplainable so its better to have a pesonal hygeine,, avoid those unhealthy foods, to void this kind of viruses..
my mum has exactly the same as you, she is 49 years old,
we live in france, but my mum recently went to england,
and has been ill ever since.
have you found out anymore about it?
thanks
I'm a broncitis sufferer and asthma should i go doctors and does it make me more vulnerable to the H1N1 virus