What is Swine Flu ?

Infection caused by one of the strains of Swine

Influenza viruses , H1N1,H1N2,H3N1 etc
This is common in pig population
Virus is 80 120 nanometers in diameter
Occurs in winter and moist climates
Temp below 28C or 87F

Structure ,

History
First identified in 1918 Flu pandemic
ie H1N1
Irony is that it was first identified in
humans and later in pigs
Who is first Pig or Human ?
50 100 million people were killed
Till 1997 same strain continued
Subsequently other strains emerged

How it spreads
Direct transmission from pigs is rare ,
till now only about 50 cases have
been reported with 6 deaths
Human to human is the general
mode
Droplet , close contact , coughing ,
sneezing , touching the face , eyes ,
nose with infected hands
Does not spread through food ( pork
etc)

Who are more prone

Immunocompromised
People using steroids
Children and elderly
Pregnant women
Already suffering from respiratory
diseases
Health care workers
Farmers and workers rearing animals

Signs and symptoms

eople are similar to th
ose associated with seasonal flu.

Fever

Cough

Sore throat

Runny or stuffy nose

Body aches

Headache

Chills

Fatigue

In addition, vomiting (25%) and diarrhea (25%)

have been reported. (Higher rate than for

Emergency warning signs in

children
If a child gets sick and experiences
any of these warning signs, seek
emergency medical care.
In

children:
Fast breathing or trouble breathing
Bluish or gray skin color
Not drinking enough fluids
Severe or persistent vomiting
Not waking up or not interacting
Irritable, the child does not want to be held
Flu-like symptoms improve but then return
with fever and worse cough

Watch for emergency warning

signs
Most people should be able to recover at
home, but watch for emergency warning signs
that mean you should seek immediate
medical care.
In adults:
Difficulty breathing or shortness of
breath
Pain or pressure in the chest or
abdomen
Sudden dizziness
Confusion
Severe or persistent vomiting
Flu-like symptoms improve but then

Diagnosis
PCR

Treatment
Symptomatic
Anti viral drugs like Oseltamivir
(tamiflu)
Rest
Taking plenty of fluids
Nutritious food
Good sleep

Prevention

Physically fit
Drink more water
Good sleep
Avoiding crowded places
Avoiding shaking hands , hugging , kissing etc
Hand washing
Covering the nose and mouth while sneezing
and coughing
In one word BE A GOOD BOY OR GIRL

Role of vaccine
Pharma companies claim they have
vaccine
But cannot guarantee 100%
protection
Even the vaccine is not named as
Swine flu
WHO declares one strain in Feb
against which vaccine can be
prepared
It takes 3-6 months for preparation

 Vaccination is associated with side

effects , the severe being GBS and
even death in some cases
Homeopathy also helps in
generalised improvement of
immunity but not specific for Swine
flu
Anti viral drugs for prevention also

Cautions
Stay minimum 6 feet away from suspected
people
Cover your nose with mask when going to
crowds ( N95 only helps )
Hand washing ( rub at least for 20 s )
First five days after infection are dangerous
Seek medical help if no relief after two
days or immediately if symptoms or severe
Do not take Aspirin , Dispirin or Ecospirin

Out come
Mostly self-limiting
Anti viral drugs,rest,water and good
diet will cure the disease
Rarely a person will die because of
Respiratory failure