The flu is an infection caused by a virus. There are two kinds of flu viruses – type A and type B.
Type A flu infections are more common and severe than the type B ones. You cannot tell if you have the type A flu or the type B flu unless a blood test is done – they cause the same symptoms.
The swine flu (I’m sure you’ve heard this name by now!) is a kind of type A flu that is usually found in pigs, but every now and then, it can get into humans. The swine flu has been around for many years, and it was first found in a human in 1974.
In March and April of 2009, a new type of swine flu (it has changed over the years, and this one has never been found in pigs or humans) was found to have infected many people in Mexico. Since then, the virus has spread to other countries around the world.
On June 11, 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) named this new swine flu virus a worldwide pandemic.
Note: You may have heard the word pandemic – it is the word used when new cases of a certain disease spread across the world (not in just one area) and infect many people. A pandemic is rare and can lead to many deaths.
As of June 15, 2009, there have been more than 35,900 cases in 76 countries, with 163 deaths. In the US, over 17,800 people in all 50 states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico have been infected.
Note: Most of the deaths have happened to people with other health problems.
Between 1958 and 2005, there were 37 people in the general population known to be infected with the swine flu – WOW, that’s a huge difference between then and now!!!
This new swine flu is probably more dangerous than the regular flu you see every winter (also called the seasonal flu) for the following reasons:
1. There are vaccines for the seasonal flu and not for this new swine flu (scientists are working on this problem)
2. The seasonal flu happens every year, and even though the virus changes a little from season to season, your body has found a way to fight it so the infection doesn’t get too bad – this is not the case with the new swine flu.
The signs and symptoms of the swine flu are pretty much the same as those for the seasonal flu – fever, body aches, chills, joint pain, headache, cough, sore throat, and a feeling of being tired. The difference is that vomiting and diarrhea are a lot more common in the swine flu (you usually do not see these symptoms in the seasonal flu)
You would treat the swine flu just as you would the seasonal flu – lots of rest, plenty of liquids, and an OTC pain reliever for your aches and fever.
Also, it seems that the antiviral drugs, Tamiflu (see “Use of Tamiflu for Prevention and Treatment of the Flu” and “What is Tamiflu?”) and Relenza, may help treat and keep away the swine flu (but this is not known for sure as of yet).
You should go see a doctor if you are having trouble breathing or you cannot catch your breath, or if you have had a fever for more than 3 days.
That is all I have for you for now – I hope this article was helpful!
Let me know if you have any questions or need more information by commenting on this post or e-mailing me at cate@getpharmacyadvice.com.
I’ll definitely keep you updated if something else comes up about the swine flu! If you want to read some more articles, please see our series All About the Flu.