How It Spreads ?

• From pig to pig in herds and whole herd may be infected through nasal and respiratory secretions.
• Pig to human transmission specially among those who deals directly with pigs specially if virus is re assorted [ mutation].
• Human to human by droplet infection of nasal and respiratory secretions.

Why is this new H1N1 virus sometimes called “swine flu”?
This virus was originally referred to as “swine flu” because laboratory testing showed that many of the genes in this new virus were very similar to influenza viruses that normally occur in pigs in North America. But further study has shown that this new virus is very different from what normally circulates in North American pigs. It has two genes from flu viruses that normally circulate in pigs in Europe and Asia and avian genes and human genes. Scientists call this a “quadruple reassortant” virus.




Symptoms

• Fever, Runny nose, sore throat, diarreha, Lethargy, lack of appetite, coughing, nausea, vommiting.
• Swine flu can be diagnosed by examining respiratory samples for isolation of virus with 3-4 days of symptoms.
• In some cases virus keeps on shedding even up to 10 days .
• There is NO Vaccine for humans yet. There are few antiviral drugs like Tamiflu [oseltamivir] and Relenza [ zanamivir] which can be used for treatment. But morbidity is still high.

What You Can Do to Stay Healthy

• Stay informed. This website will be updated regularly as information becomes available.
• Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people.
• Take everyday actions to stay healthy.
  • Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.
  • Stay home if you get sick. CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
• Follow public health advice regarding school closures, avoiding crowds and other social distancing measures.
• Find healthy ways to deal with stress and anxiety.