Questions and answers about swine flu.

Mexico is contending with an outbreak of swine flu, suspected in the deaths of dozens of people and sickening perhaps 1,000. In the United States, at least eight cases have been confirmed with the infection, all of them in California and Texas; only one person was hospitalized. Here are some questions and answers about the illness:

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http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/key_facts.htm

Q. What is swine flu?

A. Swine flu is a respiratory illness in pigs caused by a virus. The swine flu virus routinely causes outbreaks in pigs but doesn't usually kill many of them.

Q. Can people get swine flu?

A. Swine flu viruses don't usually infect humans. There have been occasional cases, usually among people who've had direct contact with infected pigs, such as farm workers. "We've seen swine influenza in humans over the past several years, and in most cases, it's come from direct pig contact. This seems to be different," said Dr. Arnold Monto, a flu expert with the University of Michigan.

Q. Can it spread among humans?

A. There have been cases of the virus spreading from human to human, probably in the same way as seasonal flu, through coughing and sneezing by infected people.

Q. What are the symptoms of swine flu?

A. The symptoms are similar to those of regular flu — fever, cough, fatigue, lack of appetite.

Q. Is the same swine flu virus making people sick in Mexico and the U.S.?

A. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the Mexican virus samples match the U.S. virus. The virus is a mix of human virus, bird virus from North America and pig viruses from North America, Europe and Asia.

Q. Are there drugs to treat swine flu in humans?

A. There are four different drugs approved in the U.S. to treat the flu, but the new virus has shown resistance to the two oldest. The CDC recommends the use of the flu drugs Tamiflu and Relenza.

Q. Does a regular flu shot protect against swine flu?

A. The seasonal flu vaccine used in the U.S. this year won't likely provide protection against the latest swine flu virus. There is a swine flu vaccine for pigs but not for humans.

Q. Should residents of California or Texas do anything special?

A. The CDC recommends routine precautions to prevent the spread of infectious diseases: wash your hands often, cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze, avoid close contact with sick people. If you are sick, stay at home and limit contact with others.

Q. What about traveling to Mexico?

A. The CDC has not warned Americans against traveling to Mexico but advises that they be aware of the illnesses there and take precautions to protect against infections, like washing their hands.

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Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Great, just what we need another flu virus to contend with.....

This shit isn't anything to play with, they don't have a vaccine for this one so there is nothing they can do with it. Another words, if your immune system isn't a strong one you are in big trouble.

Yep it really sucks. We don't need anything else going around other than what we already have to contend with. I bet you 10 to 1 that this flu also came from overseas, just like the majority of the others.

Another reason to close the dam borders.

Great info, I did not know about that too much, thats really suck...

but can we get this eating an infected pig ?????

marlboro920 wrote:

but can we get this eating an infected pig ?????

This i am not sure, but i do know that it is very contagious.

From what I've read...No body really knows just how many ways you can catch it....

It's moving around the world, there are cases now in Spain i think this is going to get bad before it is over.

I think this virus came through 20 or 30 yrs ago and killed about 6000 people....now it has mutated.

saltfisher1 wrote:

I think this virus came through 20 or 30 yrs ago and killed about 6000 people....now it has mutated.

Yep there saying now that it has combined with the human flue that we have now, that is why it is getting people sick now.

Scott, here's your answer to the question you posed about getting the swine flu from eating pork. NO you can not!

SWINE FLU PREVENTION TIPS
• If you have flu symptoms, stay home from work or school to avoid spreading the disease. Do not return until two days after your symptoms are gone.
• Cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze, and wash your hands frequently.
• Go to the hospital if you have severe symptoms such as difficulty breathing, but if your symptoms are mild stay home to avoid spreading the virus at the hospital.
• Masks may be recommended for health-care workers, family members, and others who come in close contact with swine flu patients, but there is no need for the public to wear masks.


Rapid spread of swine flu: Possible case of illness probed in Wood Co.


WASHINGTON - U.S. officials yesterday declared the rapid spread of swine flu to be a public health emergency and freed up 12.5 million doses of antiviral medication to help fight the disease, which has infected 20 people in five states, including one in northern Ohio.

Locally, a possible swine flu case was being investigated in Wood County. Pamela Butler, the county health commissioner, said a person who had recently traveled into Mexico from Texas reported flu-like symptoms to Wood County Hospital, and tests were under way to determine whether that person contracted swine flu.

Ms. Butler said the Ohio Department of Health had been notified, but until the test results come back no action is planned. She said she did not know where the ill person lives.

The Ohio Department of Health has established a toll-free information line for Ohioans with questions about swine flu. It is 1-866-800-1404 and operates from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday


No deaths have been reported in the United States, but officials confirmed yesterday that eight students at a New York City high school tested positive for the same strain of the disease that is suspected in up to 103 deaths in Mexico. Dozens of students at the New York school had complained of flu-like symptoms. Some recently returned from a spring break trip to Cancun, Mexico.


Authorities have confirmed seven more cases in California, two in Kansas and Texas, and one in Elyria in Ohio's Lorain County.

The 9-year-old Elyria boy and his family recently visited Mexico. Soon after returning, he developed upper-respiratory problems, a sore throat, and a fever that reached 103 degrees, said Dr. Alvin Jackson, director of the state health department.

The boy was taken to a nurse practitioner, who did a nasal swab after learning that the family had traveled abroad recently.

The protocol calls for the sample to be sent first to the Ohio Department of Health. When a test determined it wasn't seasonal flu, the sample was sent to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, where scientists confirmed it was swine flu.

The boy went to school Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday last week before he was diagnosed. Classmates and their parents have been notified, Dr. Jackson said.

State officials plan to set up an emergency operations center where people can call for information. The phone number wasn't available yesterday, but operations are expected to begin today.

Dr. Jackson and Gov. Ted Strickland said shipments of the antiviral drugs Relenza and Tamiflu would arrive from the federal government's Strategic National Stockpile by tomorrow. The drugs are being sent in case the outbreak spreads, Dr. Jackson said.

The child in Elyria displayed typical seasonal flu symptoms, including a sore throat and body aches, said Robert Jennings, an Ohio Department of Health spokesman. The boy's family members are being tested for the disease, but they are in good health, Mr. Jennings said.

At the national level, Dr. Richard Besser, the acting CDC director, said, "As we continue to look for cases, I expect that we're going to find them. We've ramped up our surveillance around the country to try and understand better what is the scope, what is the magnitude of this outbreak."

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said the outbreak was serious, but the public should know "it's not a time to panic."

He told NBC's Meet the Press that President Obama was getting updates "every few hours" on the situation.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano is leading federal efforts to deal with the outbreak.

In addition, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is screening and testing livestock to make sure the food supply isn't infected, Ms. Napolitano said.

She added the disease can't be contracted from eating pork.

Travelers entering the United States from infected locations will be subject to "passive surveillance," in which they'll be asked questions about their health.

Those with symptoms will be isolated, given protective equipment, and could be subject to further testing, Ms. Napolitano said.

Although the State Department hasn't issued an official travel advisory for Mexico, that could change, she added.

The federal moves were made as state and local authorities, the CDC, and the international health community step up public awareness, testing, and surveillance to stop the disease before it becomes a global epidemic.

Four cases were confirmed in Canada yesterday.

This report includes information from the Columbus Dispatch.

that is why they are changing the name now to (H1N1 virus)