Swine Flu or H1N1: Answers to Swine Flu Question;
(CNN) -- The World Health Organization has called it a "public health emergency of international concern." Seemingly out of nowhere, the swine flu virus has spread from person to person in Mexico and the United States, triggering global concerns as governments scramble to find ways to prevent further outbreak.
Q. What is swine flu?
A. Swine influenza, or flu, is a contagious respiratory disease that affects pigs. It is caused by a type-A influenza virus. Outbreaks in pigs occur year-round.
The most common version is H1N1. The current strain is a new variation of an H1N1 virus,which is a mix of human and animal versions.
Q. Does swine flu affect humans?
A. While the virus causes regular outbreaks in pigs, people usually are not struck by swine flu. However, there have been instances of the virus spreading to people -- and then from one person to another. The only difference is, says the CDC, transmission in the past did not spread beyond three people -- as it has done this time.
Q. What is behind the spread of the virus this time?
A. Researchers do not know yet know. People usually get swine flu from infected pigs. For example, farmers handling infected pigs can contract the virus. However, some human cases have occurred without contact with pigs or places they inhabited.
Q. What are the symptoms of swine flu?
A. The symptoms are similar to the common flu. They include fever, lethargy, lack of appetite, coughing, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
Q. How does the virus spread?
A. The virus spreads the same way the seasonal flu does. When an infected person coughs orsneezes around another person, the latter is put at risk. People can become infected by touching something with the flu virus on it and then touching their mouth, nose or eyes. An infected person can pass the virus to another before any symptoms even develop.
Q. Why is this spread troubling?
A. Scientists are concerned whenever a new virus is able to jump from an animal to a person -- and then spread from person to person. When the flu spreads person to person, it can continue to mutate, making it harder to treat or fight off. The World Health Organization has said the current outbreak has "pandemic potential," and has urged governments to take precautions to prevent its spread. If the virus continues to mutate, drug makers won't be able to come up with vaccines fast enough.
Q. Can swine flu be fatal?
A. Just like the regular flu, swine flu worsens pre-existing medical conditions in people. So people with already compromised immune systems can die after contracting it.
Q. But doesn't the common flu kill more people?
A. Yes, common seasonal flu kills 250,000 to 500,000 people worldwide every year. But what worries officials is that a new strain of the flu virus can spread fast because people do not have natural immunity and vaccines can take months to develop.
Q. Have there been swine flu outbreaks in the past?
A. From 2005 to January 2009, 12 human cases of swine flu were detected in the United States, without deaths occurring, the CDC said. In September 1988, a healthy 32-year-old pregnant woman in Wisconsin was hospitalized for pneumonia after being infected with swine flu and died a week later. And in 1976, a swine flu outbreak in Fort Dix, New Jersey, caused more than 200 illnesses and one death.
Q. What does the World Health Organization mean when it says swine flu has "pandemic potential"?
A. If the virus spreads over a wide geographic area and affects a large segment of the population, it is upgraded from an "epidemic" to a "pandemic."
Q. How deadly have pandemics been in the past?
A. In 1968, a "Hong Kong" flu pandemic killed about 1 million people worldwide. And in 1918, a Spanish" flu pandemic killed as many as 100 million people.
Q. How can one keep from getting swine flu?
A. There are no vaccines available. But several everyday steps can help prevent the spread of germs: Washing hands frequently; avoiding close contact with people who are sick; and avoiding touching surfaces that might be contaminated.
Q. Are there medicines to treat swine flu?
A. Yes, the CDC recommends using anti-viral drugs. They keep the virus from reproducing inside the body. And in an infected person, the drugs make the illness milder.
Q. Can one contract swine flu from eating or preparing pork?
A. No. Pork and other pig-derived products, if properly handled and cooked, do not transmit swine flu. The flu virus is killed by cooking temperatures of 160°F (70°C).
Thank you source: http://edition.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/27/swine.flu.qanda/?iref=mpstoryview
4. Cover your nose and mouthWhen someone sneezes or coughs, liquid droplets packing flu viruses can travel as far as three feet (one meter) through the air and descend on your nose or mouth, so it's best to maintain at least an arm's-length distance when talking to someone who shows signs of infection, says Louise Dembry, director of epidemiology at Yale–New Haven Hospital in Connecticut. And to protect others, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, and clean your hands afterward, she says, noting that viruses can remain infectious for hours, if not longer, when they linger on the skin or other surfaces such as keyboards and subway poles.
Situation in Thailand
People feeling unwell advised to stay home; regularly wash hands to avoid infections
Two more Thais and a German have been put under quarantine after they were found having high temperature and other flu-like symptoms upon arrival at Suvarnabhumi, Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai said yesterday.
The fourteen Thais, who returned from Mexico, were discharged from Bamrasnaradura Hospital yesterday morning after they tested negative to the Type A(H1N1) virus, he added.
"They need to keep track of their temperatures for a week, avoid close contact with their families and stay away from public places," he said. "They should visit a doctor right away if they start feeling unwell."
Of the two Thais quarantined, one is a 60-year-old Nakhon Sawan native who returned on Saturday from a package tour to six countries, including Egypt, Italy, Switzerland, France, Belgium and the Netherlands. He started showing flu-like symptoms on Sunday and was admitted into Sawan Pracharak Hospital on Monday. He is now under close medical surveillance.
The second Thai quarantined is a 34-year-old Ubon Ratchathani resident who has worked in South Korea for three years and arrived in Bangkok on Friday. He is suffering from a sore throat, headaches as well as muscle pain and has been quarantined at Warin Chamrap district's Fort Sunpasitthiprasong Hospital.
The German quarantined is a 52-year-old woman who arrived at Suvarnabhumi with her husband on their way to Phuket. The infrared thermal scanner found her with a fever of 39 degrees Celsius and she has now been quarantined at Rajvithee Hospital.
Witthaya said all travellers will be tested for fever upon arrival, and if they show any flu-like symptoms or if they have a fever of more than 36 degrees Celsius, they will be quarantined for a few days.
So far, about 279,653 arrivals at Suvarnabhumi have been scanned between April 27 and May 4, and none have tested positive for the Type A(H1N1) virus.
Yesterday, the minister also ordered health agencies to distribute the anti-viral drug, Oseltamivir, and make it available at all foreign embassies in Bangkok and at Thai embassies overseas, especially in affected countries.
According to the World Health Organisation's website, 21 countries have reported 1,085 cases. Mexico has reported 590 confirmed cases of infection, including 25 deaths. The United States has reported 286 confirmed cases, including one death. So far, there has been one confirmed infection each in Austria, Hong Kong, Costa Rica, Colombia, Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal, South Korea and Switzerland; two each in El Salvador and Italy; four each in France and Israel; six in New Zealand; eight in Germany; 18 in the United Kingdom; 54 in Spain and 101 in Canada. No deaths have been reported in these countries so far.
WHO advises no restriction of regular travel or closure of borders, though it would be prudent for people who are ill to delay international travel and seek immediate medical attention. Individuals are also advised to regularly wash their hands thoroughly. There is no risk of infection from the consumption of well-cooked pork and pork products.
In related news, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines, Brunei, Japan and Vietnam have confirmed that they will send representatives to the Asean+3 Health Minister's Special Meeting on Influenza A(H1N1) which will be held in Bangkok from tomorrow to Friday.
The meeting will focus on controlling the virus in the region, the distribution of the anti-viral drug Oseltamivir and the stockpiling of flu vaccines.
The Public Health Ministry's permanent-secretary Dr Prat Boonyawongvirot said Thai authorities will also propose the production of a vaccine against Type A(H1N1) virus at the meeting.
Thank you source: By Pongphon Sarnsamak The NationPublished on May 6, 2009 http://www.nationmultimedia.com/topstory/30102027/Two-Thais-1-German-quarantined
My Reaction
1. I follow the news on the Internet all the time. I try to keep update all the time because this swine flu is a new strain virus for many people around the world. I personally think that Internet are very useful source and reach directly to the news even though some web site are not credible but you need to consider the news by yourself, which one is good or bad.
2. I also search on pantip website at Klai Ban web board community to find more information about Swine flu in abroad because there are some Thai people who always give their comment and exchange some information about this flu. Which country should go or avoid or even update the situation in that country.
3. I also follow the announcement of Government and WHO about the spread of the Swine Flu. Furthermore, from this article that I post on my blog let me know what is Swine Flu and how to protect myself from this flu.
Conclusion
The first thing you need to know is; what is swine flu, why many people are very scare about this flu. Next, from my conclusion, swine flu or H1N1 virus strain comes from pig which can effect directly to human. However, there are a lot of people afraid of eating pork. That is a wrong idea. Actually, if you cooked it more than 70 C, the swine flu virus cannot transmit to human because of hot temperature. Then, I also include 5 ways to protect yourself for swine flu which contain;
1. Don't touch your face above all because your hands might have germ or virus, when you touch your face, the virus might get into your body by eyes, mouth and nose.
2. Wash your hand so often if you must touch your face by wash your hand with soap around 20-30 second to make it clean.
3. Use a hand sanitizer by using an alcohol with your hand regulary.
4. and 5. Cover your nose and mouth when people sneeze and try to use a high quality of mask to protect you from the virus.
About the situation in Thailand found that there are none of people who have a swine flu cases. However, the Thai government always check all of passengers who arrive from Mexico or the risk of other countries which has already found people who have a swine flu.
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