Swine Flu

May 5, 2009 at 12:11 pm · Filed under 1

Swine Flu-An Overview

Swine flu, also known as swine influenza or hog flu or pig flu, is a respiratory disease of the pigs caused by type A influenza that leads to the outbreak of influenza among pigs. Several variations of swine flu viruses have evolved over the years. At present, there are four main influenza type A virus subtypes which have been isolated in pigs. They are H1N1, H1N2, H3N1 and H3N2. However, majority of the recently isolated influenza viruses from pigs is the H1N1 virus.

 

Swine Flu Symptoms in Human Beings

Not only pigs, swine flu also affects human beings. Some of the common symptoms of pig flu are lethargy, muscle pains, coughing, poor appetite, running nose, feeling of nausea, vomiting tendency, sore throat, fever and diarrhea.

 

Spread of Swine Flu

The influenza virus can spread from pigs to human beings in several ways. Human beings are most likely to get infected when they are in close proximity with infected pigs. Swine flu can also be transmitted from one human being to another. This may happen particularly from coughing and sneezing of people infected with the flu virus. Human beings may also get affected if they touch their nose or eyes or put their fingers inside their mouth after touching an object containing the influenza virus.

 

Swine Flu Preventive Measures

There are several ways in which we can prevent the spread of this influenza virus among human beings. Following are some of the simple but important swine flu precautionary measures that should be practiced by human beings if they want to stay away from this disease.

 

 

-              Wash your hands frequently with soap and water or with alcohol-based hand sanitizers to kill the bacteria and viruses, particularly before eating and also when you are in public places;

-              If you are suffering from some flu influenza symptoms like cough, fever or muscle pain, you should remain away from work or public transport and should visit a doctor instead;

-              You should always try to stay away from people who may be infected with this influenza virus;

-              Always try to remain in good health. Have adequate sleep, drink lots of fluids, manage your stress, be physically fit and have healthy food. This is because of the fact that the healthier you are, the better will be your immune system in defending your body against any virus;

-              Always practice good hygiene. Use a disposable tissue for sneezing or blowing your nose and throw the tissue paper immediately after use;

-              Avoid sharing drinks and utensils with others;

-              Try to use face mask or respirator since they help in preventing exposure to flu viruses to a certain extent.

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