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Swine Influenza or swine flu is a contagious respiratory disease of pigs, caused by a type A influenza virus. Swine flu is commonly seen in North America, South America, Asia, and Europe. Type A influenza viruses can affect a range of other animals and humans. Pandemic influenza is defined as a new influenza virus that spreads easily between humans and affects a wide geographic area. However, just because a disease is classified as a pandemic, it does not necessarily mean that it causes more severe disease.
Human cases of swine flu are uncommon and usually involve people who have close contact with pigs. The current outbreak began in March 2009 and involves a new strain of human swine influenza identified as H1N1 Influenza. Genetic testing shows that this strain is related to swine influenza virus strains but also contains genetic material from human and avian influenza strains. Because this is a new strain, people and animals will have minimal natural immunity, so the virus can spread rapidly.
As of November 2009, confirmed human cases have been reported in 200 countries throughout the world. Cases in animals are rare and limited evidence suggests that they are the result of direct transmission from infected humans. On November 2, 2009, H1N1 infection was confirmed in a cat in Iowa, USA. To date confirmed cases have also been reported in pigs, turkeys and ferrets, with no reports of cases in other species.
H1N1 flu has the same symptoms as regular human seasonal flu, with mild and short-lived illness in most affected individuals. Flu symptoms are similar in humans and animals and generally include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, sore throat, coughing, sneezing, runny nose and congestion; occasionally, the patient may develop vomiting and diarrhea. H1N1 rarely leads to death, and the majority of people who have died from this disease had some other severe underlying problem. Tragically, there have been a few children who were apparently healthy who have died from H1N1 Influenza.
Like most respiratory viruses, H1N1 is contagious and spreads via direct contact with an infected patient or by touching objects that have been contaminated by discharges from a sneezing or coughing patient. H1N1 influenza is not a food safety concern since it proper cooking of pork products will kill any viruses.
To minimize your chance of infection, wash your hands frequently and practice good hygiene. If you are ill, stay home to avoid spreading the virus, and sneeze or cough into a disposable tissue which you immediately throw away. Evidence shows that the use of surgical masks by the general public is not effective in preventing transmission of influenza. If you develop severe flu-like symptoms you should immediately contact your health care provider. Because humans can spread the disease to other species of animals, people showing symptoms of influenza should avoid visiting pig or poultry farms. If an animal is experiencing flu-like symptoms or signs of an upper respiratory infection, you would be wise to seek immediate veterinary care. To be safe, animals with flu symptoms should be isolated from other animals or people.
The World Health Organization is collaborating with the governments of countries with confirmed cases of H1N1 influenza and will continue to issue updates as new cases occur. For accurate and up-to-date information, go to http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/ (Centers for Disease Control), http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca (The Public Health Agency of Canada) or
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/index.html (World Health Organization).
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