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Where did it start?

Update:

Very recent studies during Spring of 2011, have indicated that the start of this new flu may have actually been in China and not Mexico. That finding is being investigated at present. Prior to this, it was believed that the first cases were in Mexico. More studies are underway in China.

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Location of origin (initially reported):

Spring 2009:

There was speculation that it may have started at an American-owned pig farm in Veracruz, Mexico, a Smithfield Foods facility. However, the following article states that Mexico's Agriculture Department has proven it was not the original location: Press Release from the National Pork Producers Council:

"Washington, May 14, 2009 -

Mexico's agriculture department today said the influenza strain that now has infected almost 4,300 people in 33 countries did not originate from hogs at a Smithfield Foods operation that had been singled out by some, including critics of modern pork production, as the source of the A-H1N1 flu virus.

Test results released today by the Mexican Ministry of Agriculture, Ranching, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA) confirmed that the novel A-H1N1 virus was not in pigs at the Granjas Carroll de México farm in Veracruz. The pigs also tested negative for other viruses. "

From The Humane Society of US:

"...the progenitor of the Swine Flu virus currently threatening to trigger a human pandemic has now been identified..." (A-H1N1/09 "Novel H1N1")

"Scientists postulate that a human flu virus may have starting (sic) circulating in U.S. pig farms as early as 1995, but 'by mutation or simply by obtaining a critical density', caused disease in pigs and began to spread rapidly through swine herds in North America." (the version of H1N1 that was mostly found only in pigs, aka "Regular Swine flu")

This H1N1 (Regular Swine Flu) then mutated from just a pig flu to the H1N1, that is causing the 2009 pandemic, by adding genetic material from human viruses and Avian (bird flu) Influenza viruses to the genetic material already in the regular swine flu from strains of pig flu in Asia, Europe, and North America.

These (Avian and Human) "...two gene segments of the H1N1 swine flu virus now spreading in human populations around the world appear to come from a swine flu viral lineage circulating in Eurasia..." (Novel H1N1)

A form of human to human swine flu virus (H1N1) is not new. Swine flu caused a brief panic in 1976 when it appeared in the U.S. at an army base, and sickened several of the soldiers stationed there. Ironically the biggest fallout from that incident of swine flu came from the vaccine that President Gerald Ford urged citizens to get: only one person died from the actual flu while twenty-five died and five-hundred took sick from the vaccine or from problems loosely linked to the vaccines.

To further complicate our understanding of where this virus came from, researchers are now saying that "swine" flu isn't even the correct description of what this current one is, since this virus is made up from a mix of porcine (pig), avian (bird), andhuman flu strains. [This is why the CDC started calling it Novel (new)].

Swine flu, in its purely "piggy" form, is actually found in pigs worldwide, literally in every country. The World Animal Health organization was recommending the pandemic flu virus be renamed to "North-American influenza" to reflect its presumed origins. The World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have now started to call it more consistently Type A H1N1/09. See the related question below about the scientific name and other names for this pandemic flu.

For more details of how the virus mutated from the pig-to-pig-transmitted flu to become the Novel H1N1 flu, that can be spread human-to-human, see the related question below: "What caused the 2009 Swine Flu? "

Here are some additional facts about the swine flu/H1N1-09:

(1) "Regular Swine Flu" (a different strain of H1N1) is a respiratory disease normally found in pigs. The novel (new) A- H1N1/09 is a mutation of this original swine flu virus and is passed human to human, with rare reported cases of human to hog infection.

(2) It is caused by a type A influenza virus with RNA genetic material.

(3) Humans with direct sustained close contact with pigs, such as in big pig farms, are those who can occasionally be infected with regular swine flu. (A-H1N1/09 is spread human to human most often.)

(4) Adults shed influenza virus from the day before symptoms begin through 5-10 days after illness onset.

(5) Uncomplicated influenza illnesses typically last for 3 to 7 days for most people with some cough and malaise for around 2 weeks or more.

(6) Young children also might be contagious several days before they have obvious symptoms, and children can be infectious for 10 or more days after the first signs of illness.

(7) You cannot catch swine flu from eating pork. The virus is killed by exposure to heat at normal cooking temperatures -- 167-212°F (75-100°C).

(8) Symptoms of swine flu are similar to those of most influenza illnesses: fever and chills, sore throat, cough, headache, body aches, and fatigue.

(9) For treatment, there are two antiviral drugs that a doctor may prescribe, which work best if started soon after getting sick (within two days of the appearance of symptoms). The two drugs are oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza). Tamiflu is for treatment in adults and children aged 1 year and older, and must be taken within 48 hours of the first symptom for best results but can still be helpful in some cases after then.

(10) The best current advice for individuals is to practice good hand washing hygiene to help prevent coming in contact with the disease.

See the related questions below for more information on prevention.

Vaccines

Update 2010:

Beginning in the 2010-2011 flu season, the new vaccine developed for this influenza virus in 2009 is now included in the seasonal flu vaccine along with two other vaccines for the anticipated viruses that were to be included in the vaccine for this season. This will allow vaccination for the A-H1N1/09 virus and the "regular" flu viruses during this flu season without having to have two vaccinations as was the case in 2009 when the vaccine was first made available. It will not hurt to take this season's "regular" flu vaccination containing "swine flu" even if you had the vaccination for Novel Swine Flu and/or the flu itself in 2009-2010.

Fall 2009:

The Food and Drug Administration in the US has approved four vaccines for use and these have been being distributed by the CDC to the state health departments for further distribution to local providers and programs for vaccination. These were released in late October and are being given to the highest risk population on a priority basis until vaccine production is at full speed and able to keep up with demand. This is expected to be by January 2010. See related question below about the vaccines.

World Health Organization (WHO) Phase of Pandemic:

Update: The pandemic is now in the "Post Pandemic Phase." This means that the pandemic is over but there will still be sporadic and isolated outbreaks, but the peak of infections is now over.

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June 11, 2009 World Health Organization (WHO) raises Pandemic Level to Level 6 (Pandemic Phase).

From WHO news conference 11 June 2009:

"On the basis of available evidence and these expert assessments of the evidence, the scientific criteria for an influenza pandemic have been met. I have therefore decided to raise the level of influenza pandemic alert from Phase 5 to Phase 6.

The world is now at the start of the 2009 influenza pandemic."

The transcripts of the Press Conference can be read or videos watched at the WHO site. A link is provided in the related links section below this answer. It is important to note that a declaration of Pandemic by WHO does not indicate an increase in the severity, just that the criteria for Phase 6 regarding the spread of the Novel H1N1 Influenza have been met. This puts into place additional steps by WHO and World Nations' plans for control and prevention in such a widespread situation of pandemic.

It continues to spread to new countries as expected.

For the most recently updated details of the progression of the spread of the pandemic, see the related question below: "Which cities states or countries have deaths or cases of swine flu? "

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