The 2009 Flu Outbreak: Swine Flu the Major Threat of Death by Kiran Bista
The 2009 Flu Outbreak: Swine Flu the Major Threat of Death
Swine Influenza and its brutal impact over human lives is not a new story.
Years like 1918 and 1976 are still remembered for the mass destruction of human
lives from Swine Flu. In 2009, Swine Flu has once again shown its impact with
over 2,532 confirmed cases over 44 states in US and 4,694 confirmed cases among
30 countries. Today, Swine Flu is becoming a major threat of death among people
world wide.
What is Swine Influenza or Swine Flu?
Swine influenza is also known as swine flu, hog flu or H1N1 virus. Swine influenza
is caused by those influenza viruses which are often found to infect pigs and
is commonly seen in Midwestern of United States. It is also infrequently found
in many other part of the world like: Mexico, Canada, South America, Europe,
Japan and Kenya.
Swine Flu is rarely a fatal disease but the outbreak of this virus is commonly
seen in herds of pigs causing severe illness. Though autumn and winter is considered
to be the favorable time for these viruses to spread but it is found able to
circulate all year round.
History of Swine Flu:
Swine Flu was firstly proposed to be a human disease in 1918 A.D when both
pigs and human were highly affected by the virus. But, only in 1930 A.D it was
identified as an influenza virus as a cause of disease in pigs. Though there
are different forms of viruses like: H4N6, H1N2, H3N2 but the H1N1 form of swine
flu is considered to be the descendants of the strain that caused the 1918 flu
pandemic. As well as persisting in pigs, the descendants of the 1918 virus have
also circulated in humans through the 20th century contributing to the normal
seasonal epidemics of influenza. However, direct transmission from pigs to humans
is very rare with only 12 cases in the U.S. since 2005.
Swine Flu and Human Transmission:
The transmission of Swine Flu among humans is rare. Since, the mid 20th century
only 50 cases of influenza subtypes have been recorded. But, in many other cases
the victims accumulate only a small amount of antibodies in their blood as symptoms
but they are not considered to be the human influenza.
Even the transmission of Swine Flu from human to human is rare. But, the possibility
increases among those people who work in pig’s farm and are highly exposed
to them.
Common Symptoms of Swine Flu:
• Mild fever usually with high cough.
• Runny or stuffy nose and sore throat.
• Body aches and headaches.
• Fatigue or tiredness.
• Extreme vomiting or diarrhea sometimes.
Serious Symptoms of Swine Flu:
• Fast or trouble breathing.
• Sever vomiting.
• Avoiding interactions.
• Being irritable.
• Bluish or grey skin color.
Methods of Preventing the Spread of Influenza:
• Facility Management:
It’s better to use disinfectants and ambient temperature to control the
virus in the environment because it has been noticed that the virus cannot survive
outside living cells for more than two weeks.
• Herd Management:
Herd management is very crucial and adding an infected pig into the herd is
a major cause for the outbreak. The virus survives in healthy carrier pigs for
up to 3 months and can be recovered from them between outbreaks. Thus, the herd
management should be done with extreme care.
Methods of Prevention from Pig Farms to Humans:
• Using face mask is a compulsion if you are engaged in pig farms.
• Using vaccines is a major part of prevention for limiting the infection
and the outbreak.
• Smoking is also considered to be the major reason for its transmission
to humans.
• Using gloves and working in the farm is suggested.
Method of Prevention from Human to Human Transmission:
• Using recommended infection control to reduce the risk of influenza.
• Washing hands with soap or alcohol-based hand sanitizers is suggested
by experts.
• If flu symptoms is noticed its better to quit from public areas and
consult doctors immediately.
• Keeping yourself away from infected person and using mask and other
protective are necessary.
Treatments on Swine Flu:
Antiviral like: oseltamavir and zanamivir (brand name Tamiflu and Relenza respectively.)
are suggested for the treatment of the flu. These antiviral will help to reduce
the length of time you are ill by around one day and they also relive the symptoms.
These antiviral are good at reducing your major complaints like: pneumonia.
For pregnant women some medications are preferred like: Oseltamivir, zanamivir,
amantadine and rimantadine which are all Pregnancy Category C medications, indicating
that no clinical studies have been conducted to assess the safety of these medications
for pregnant women. Only two cases of amantadine use for severe influenza illness
during the third trimester have been reported.
About the Author
Kiran Bista is an Article Writer and a search engine specialist. He is also invest in Stocks and Bonds and has keen interest in writing and sometimes poetry too.