What is swine flu?
Like people, pigs can get influenza (flu), but swine flu viruses aren't the same as human flu viruses. Swine flu doesn't often infect people, and the rare human cases that have occurred in the past have mainly affected people who had direct contact with pigs. But the current swine flu outbreak is different. It's caused by a new swine flu virus that has spread from person to person -- and it's happening among people who haven't had any contact with pigs.
What are swine flu symptoms?
Symptoms of swine flu are like regular flu symptoms and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills, and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with swine flu. Those symptoms can also be caused by many other conditions, and that means that you and your doctor can't know, just based on your symptoms, if you've got swine flu. It takes a lab test to tell whether it's swine flu or some other condition.
If I think I have swine flu, what should I do? When should I see my doctor?
If you have flu symptoms, stay home, and when you cough or sneeze, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue. Afterward, throw the tissue in the trash and wash your hands. That will help prevent your flu from spreading.
If you've got flu symptoms, and you've recently been to a high-risk area like Mexico, it is recommended that you see your doctor. If you have flu symptoms but you haven't been in a high-risk area, you can still see a doctor -- that's your call.
Keep in mind that your doctor will not be able to determine whether you have swine flu, but he or she would take a sample from you and send it to a state health department lab for testing to see if it's swine flu. If your doctor suspects swine flu, he or she would be able to write you a prescription for Tamiflu or Relenza. Those drugs may not be required; U.S. swine flu patients have made a full recovery without it.
How does swine flu spread? Is it airborne?
The new swine flu virus apparently spreads just like regular flu. You could pick up germs directly from an infected person, or by touching an object they recently touched, and then touching your eyes, mouth, or nose, delivering their germs for your own infection. That's why you should make washing your hands a habit, even when you're not ill. Infected people can start spreading flu germs up to a day before symptoms start, and for up to seven days after getting sick, according to the CDC.
The swine flu virus can become airborne if you cough or sneeze without covering your nose and mouth, sending germs into the air.
The U.S. residents infected with swine flu virus had no direct contact with pigs. The CDC says it's likely that the infections represent widely separated cycles of human-to-human infections.
How is swine flu treated?
The new swine flu virus is sensitive to the antiviral drugs Tamiflu and Relenza. The CDC recommends those drugs to prevent or treat swine flu; the drugs are most effective when taken within 48 hours of the start of flu symptoms. But not everyone needs those drugs; many of the first people in the U.S. with lab-confirmed swine flu recovered without treatment. The Department of Homeland Security has released 25% of its stockpile of Tamiflu and Relenza to states. Health officials have asked people not to hoard Tamiflu or Relenza.
Is there a vaccine against the new swine flu virus?
No. But the CDC and the World Health Organization are already taking the first steps toward making such a vaccine. That's a lengthy process -- it takes months. I had a flu vaccine this season. Am I protected against swine flu?
No. This season's flu vaccine wasn't made with the new swine flu virus in mind; no one saw this virus coming ahead of time.
If you were vaccinated against flu last fall or winter, that vaccination will go a long way toward protecting you against certain human flu virus strains. But the new swine flu virus is a whole other problem.
How can I prevent swine flu infection?
The CDC recommends taking these steps:
• Wash your hands regularly with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing. Or use an alcohol-based hand cleaner.
• Avoid close contact with sick people.
• Avoid touching your mouth, nose, or eyes.
How severe is swine flu?
The severity of cases in the current swine flu outbreak has varied widely. In Mexico, there have been deaths and other severe cases. Early cases in the U.S. have been mild. But that could change. The virus itself could change, either becoming more or less dangerous. Scientists are watching closely to see which way the new swine flu virus is heading -- but health experts warn that flu viruses are notoriously hard to predict, as far as how and when they'll change.
Why has the swine flu infection been deadlier in Mexico than in the U.S.?
It is unclear why U.S. cases have been milder compared to those in Mexico. Among the first 20 reported cases in the U.S., only one patient required hospitalization and that person has fully recovered. CDC researchers are actively investigating to learn more about the differences between the cases in Mexico and those in the U.S.
How serious is the public health threat of a swine flu epidemic?
The U.S. government has declared swine flu to be a public health emergency.
It remains to be seen how severe swine flu will be in the U.S. and elsewhere, but countries worldwide are monitoring the situation closely and preparing for the possibility of a pandemic.
The World Health Organization has not declared swine flu to be a pandemic. The WHO wants to learn more about the virus first and see how severe it is and how deeply it takes root.
But it takes more than a new virus spreading among humans to make a pandemic. The virus has to be able to spread efficiently from one person to another, and transmission has to be sustained over time. In addition, the virus has to spread geographically.
The Asia-Pacific region is on high alert against the potential danger posed by the outbreak of the human form of swine flu, which the number of suspected swine flu cases in Mexico has climbed to 1,614, including 103 deaths.
The governments in the Asia-Pacific region are mobilizing resources and taking measures possible to guard against and prevent the outbreak and spread of the disease after the World Health Organization warned Sunday that an outbreak of swine flu in Mexico has spread to the United States, Canada and other countries.
Current Condition in UAE (Reference : Gulf News)
A circular has been issued to doctors in the UAE asking them to be fully prepared to deal with any potential swine flu cases, Jamal Al Turki, technical director, preventive medicine, Ministry of Health (MoH), said on Sunday.
"Currently there is no actual threat of swine flu to the UAE. We are monitoring the situation," he said.
The outbreak of swine flu was first reported in Mexico and the United States and experts have warned about its pandemic potential.
The alarming situation had forced World Health Organisation (WHO) director-general Margaret Chan to convene a meeting of the Emergency Committee to assess the situation and advise her on appropriate responses.
After reviewing available data on the current situation, committee members identified a number of gaps in knowledge about the clinical features, epidemiology, and virology of reported cases and the appropriate responses.
In a telephone news conference in Geneva, Chan said: "The situation is evolving quickly. The new disease is by definition poorly understood."
Al Turki said: "This particular type of flu can be transmitted by being close to pigs; so in this regard there is no real threat in the UAE. The disease is also not transmitted through the food chain."
"We are also keeping a close surveillance on people coming from the infected part of the world based on the slightest flu like symptoms. There is a potential for this flu to turn into an epidemic because this particular virus changes its genetic composition. It can infect pigs but human-to-human transmission does not take place," he added.
10 comments:
My friend has recently got back from Mexico and has been feeling ill and now I have developed what seems like a normal cold. I have had if for about four days and there is no sign of getting better. I haven't been to the doctor. What do you advise?
Dr Baker:
I think if you have symptoms of a cold - and have had these for four days - then this is almost certainly a normal cold. For more detailed advice (or if your friend wants further information) it might help to contact NHS Direct
What is the incubation time of swine flu from point of exposure?
I don't believe we know enough yet about this illness to be able to say. I would expect this sort of information to become available over the next few days.
When flu symptoms arise we are told not to bother the doctor, stay at home, keep warm and drink water. Good advice usually but in this case, how do you know when it is necessary to contact the doctor?
It is good advice. However, people will be able to get more information from NHS Direct. If swine flu develops into a pandemic, and reaches the UK, then the public will receive information on leaflets, and from television, that will advise on what to look out for, in terms of worsening symptoms, that should prompt seeking help.
How does 'flu' actually 'kill' someone? How long does it take from becoming infected with virus to death, if that is the outcome?
Flu is an unpleasant illness but one that normally leads to complete recovery within a week or so for most people. The danger from flu is mainly from complications, especially pneumonia.
If people who have flu become much worse, especially if they start to have breathing difficulties, pneumonia should be suspected.
If pneumonia develops, that probably needs to be treated in hospital with antiviral and/or antibiotics. Some patients with pneumonia can deteriorate very quickly, others may have an illness over a number of days or even weeks.
I have no spleen and I'm concerned that I will find it hard to fight the flu virus if contracted. Is there anything I can do to pre-prepare myself?
You should be very careful in having meticulous hand hygiene, washing your hands frequently with soap and water or using alcohol hand rubs.
Should this become a pandemic strain, some patients (and people who have had splenectomies may be in this group) may be directed to take a course of antibiotics if they develop flu symptoms. If this course of action is recommended, then GPs will receive guidance and arrangements will be made for patients for whom such treatment is recommended.
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