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Swine Flu (H1N1/09)
The 2009 Pandemic Swine Flu, A-H1N1/09, the Type A influenza virus that was first identified in the early spring of 2009 in Mexico and then spread world wide to become a true Pandemic by June 2009. Different from other current seasonal strains of H1N1, and also not the same Swine Flu from prior epidemics or outbreaks (like in 1976), it is known by many different names in different places and settings, such as: H1N1, Novel H1N1, A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)v-like virus, la grippe porcine, The Mexican Flu, la epidemia, Schweinegrippe, and SOIV (Swine Origin Influenza Virus).
1,816 Questions
What is the difference between Swine Flu and pandemic flu?
Swine Flu and Human Seasonal Flu
Human Influenza (flu) refers to one of the three major types of flus (Influenza Type A, B, or C) that are endemic to the human population (orthomyxoviridae). Most seasonal flu would fit into this category of human to human transferable viruses. Swine flu was originally a flu in pigs that mutated to one that could be given to humans. When humans get diseases from animals it is called Zoonosis or a zoonotic disease.
Similarities and Differences
H1N1/09 symptoms are much like the symptoms of other types of flu, however there have been higher rates of vomiting and diarrhea in the beginning stages of the pandemic flu compared to the seasonal flu. See the related questions below for more information about the symptoms.
Human-to-human transmission of swine flu (A-H1N1/09) is thought to be spread in the same way as seasonal flu -- through coughing/sneezing/close contact, and is highly contagious.
With Novel H1N1 (2009 Swine Flu), the symptoms progress rapidly, and as early as within five days of symptom onset, it is possible to have the severe respiratory symptoms that progress to pneumonia or other life-threatening complications requiring hospital care.
Swine flu symptoms for many people have been milder than those with seasonal flu. According to current statistics, more people die each year of seasonal flu, than have with swine flu.
Unlike seasonal flu, those over age 65 are not at high risk of catching and having serious complications with Novel Swine flu A-H1N1/09. This may be the result of residual immunity from some similar flu in the past to which those in this age group were exposed.
See the related questions below for more information.
Can you have swine flu without a cough or congestion?
You can have swine flu without fever. Fully 1/2 of people with swine flu have had no fever. I did not have a fever, but I ended up with acute pneumonia after only 24 hours. It went straight to my chest!
Here's an article about having swine flu without a fever:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/13/health/13fever.html
Is swine flu virus a latent or a active virus?
If the question is whether the virus in the vaccine is inactivated "dead" or is attenuated "weakened", then the H1N1/09 pandemic swine flu vaccine comes in both types. The vaccine for the injection contains only inactivated virus particles. The vaccine for nasal spray contains viruses that have been altered to be too weak to make an otherwise healthy person ill, but will still cause a good immune response for immunity.
If by "active" you mean is there vaccine currently available on the market, then in the US now there is seasonal flu vaccine available and it contains the vaccine for three different types of flu. One of those is H1N1/09 swine flu. You can get the vaccination in the usual places for annual flu shots.
See related questions below for more...
Yes, but how likely they are to get it depends upon the type of swine flu virus. There are different viruses or strains of viruses that are called "swine flu".
The original name for the kind of influenza that pigs get was "swine flu" in the US. Pigs usually get this from other pigs. Humans usually don't get it unless they are in very close proximity to infected pigs as might occur on pig farms . It is rare however. Mutations of this type of swine flu occur constantly among pigs and some farmers struggle to keep ahead of the high loss livestock disease with "designer" vaccinations made for the specific mutations in one herd before transmitted to another herd in the area.
This swine flu that pigs get was one of the early flu viruses that was able to be identified as a Type A H1N1 influenza virus once we were able to type them this way.
As Type A flu viruses have mutated among humans, we, too started getting viruses identified as H1N1 subtypes, but they were different than the ones pigs get. In retrospect, scientists have also attributed some of the epidemics and pandemics of influenza among people in the past to this same type. It was a type of H1N1 virus that caused the Spanish Flu of 1918 when tens of millions of people died of the pandemic after WW 1; and another strain of H1N1 was the cause of the 1976 US outbreak at Fort Dix, New Jersey. There was a halted vaccination program associated with the 1976 Swine Flu.
In 2009, a pandemic became known as the Swine Flu Pandemic. It was also caused by a Type A H1N1 Influenza strain. It is highly contagious among humans.
Do injections hurt more than vaccines?
Injections hurt, but vaccines hurt more. The vaccines are putting antibodies into your blood stream, so the pain is your immune system reacting to those antibodies straight away. Injections may be for anything, whether taking out substance or putting substance in. But vaccines definitely hurt much more.Hope this helps!
Infected Countries
Mexico, USA, England, Spain, Canada, Isreal, Wales, Scotland, New Zeland
Countries That might have swine flu
Brazil, Guatemala, Peru, Australia, S. Korea, Venezualela,
Countries under obsovation
Denmark, Sweeden, Greece, Czech Republic, Italy, Germany
i hope this helps
What percentage of people die from the 2009 Swine Flu?
UPDATE 03/07/10
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has estimated that, as of 2/12/10, since the beginning of the pandemic, the US has had approximately 57 million cases of A-H1N1/09 Pandemic Swine Flu and approximately 11,690 resulting deaths. Based upon this, an estimate of the mortality rate in the US from the pandemic is 0.02%.
In comparison, the CDC and World Health Organization (WHO) have estimated that with seasonal flu, "we see over 30 million cases in the United States. We see 200,000 hospitalizations and, on average, 36,000 deaths." (During the entire fall and winter flu season.) Based upon this, the average mortality rate of seasonal flu in the US would be 0.12 %.
The statistics of this mortality rate variation and other information gathered during the pandemic are under study by epidemiologists. It may be attributable to the fact that the especially vulnerable demographic group of the elderly (age 65 and older) suffers the majority of the cases and deaths from seasonal flu (because their weakened immune systems are unable to fight it off before their frail bodies must attempt to deal with the symptoms caused by another new strain of virus). In contrast, the majority of cases of the pandemic swine flu are among the younger and healthier demographic groups, so that, except for the very young and those with underlying medical conditions, most are able to survive the disease. It is not fully understood yet why the elderly do not contract this virus subtype as easily as the typical seasonal viruses, but speculation is that they may have acquired immunity through prior exposure to a similar virus strain.
PREVIOUSLY:
The mortality rate for the A-H1N1/09 Pandemic Flu was roughly calculated as 0.01%.
It had been difficult to come up with an estimate of the mortality rates of Swine Flu (novel H1N1/09), since the case numbers were being drawn from known cases from hospitalized patients or other laboratory confirmed cases. These were known to be just a fraction of the total number of infections (because those figures excluded the unknown number of mild cases treated at home, untested, and unreported.)
Very rough estimates of the mortality rate of the pandemic A-H1N1/09 influenza have now been calculated from statistics gathered by a French study in late August 2009 and reported in the Public Library of Science (PLOS). Based on their findings, it is estimated that Novel Swine Flu is 100 times more virulent than seasonal flu.
The main cause of death with A-H1N1/09 is viral pneumonia with resulting ARDS (Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome). Even though treated in a hospital ICU, approximately 50% of ARDS cases result in death. In the French study, the number of ARDS cases was found to be one in every 5000 cases, giving the estimate of ARDS deaths as 1 in 10,000 cases of infection.
The number of deaths from ARDS in seasonal flu cases, based on empirical evidence in France, is calculated to be between 5 and 10 each year out of an average annual number of seasonal flu cases of 6 million infections. Until better counts of cases are available, that gives a rough estimate of the deaths due to ARDS resulting from seasonal influenza of one out of a million infected patients.
The 1 death in 10,000 cases from A-H1N1/09 compared to 1 in 1,000,000 from seasonal flu strains gives the prior mentioned indications of A-H1N1/09 being 100 times more virulent than seasonal flu. (For the full article about the study, see the related links section below.)
Average mortality rate of seasonal flu = 0.12 % (based on WHO statistics below)
From WHO: "With seasonal flu, we see in the United States over 30 million cases. We see 200,000 hospitalizations and, on average, 36,000 deaths." (During the entire fall and winter flu season.)
It is believed that so far it may be a much lower mortality rate than feared for this first wave of the 2009 Swine Flu (Novel H1N1). Future waves of the outbreaks can become more serious if it follows patterns of other epidemics and pandemics in the past, however.
The total number of people originally infected in Mexico was initially underestimated because the diagnosis of it in many who were hospitalized was delayed at the beginning of the outbreak. Without that data to compare to the known deaths attributed to the virus, the death rate could only be assumed from the low numbers of confirmed cases at first.
The statistics and conclusions are still being monitored, and there may be future waves of the strain that are more deadly than the first, as occurs in many flu outbreaks. Because this new mutation of the swine flu virus has not infected humans before, there is no historical information to know what the death rate may be. Viruses can vary greatly in their effects on those infected. Some viruses do not affect many people, but the majority of the ones that are infected may die. Other viruses may affect a widespread significant number of people, but have a very low death rate. Some viruses affect only the infirm, very young, very old, or others with compromised immune systems; while other strains of viruses, like this strain of swine flu seems to be doing, are more often caught by people who have been healthy up until the contact with the virus.
(See the related questions and links for additional information.)
Does the flu shot protect from H1N1?
In a way. Originally we needed to take a separate vaccination for the swine flu. Beginning in the 2010 - 2011 flu season, the regular seasonal flu vaccine was adjusted to include the vaccine for the swine flu. So now you can be protected from swine flu by taking the regular seasonal flu shot in the US.
Can people get Swine Flu from others?
Yes, but this can be a little confusing. The swine flu was originally called that because it is a disease that pigs get from each other and causes the same kind of virus symptoms that flu viruses in other animals, including people, get. It is just a strain of that virus that pigs get and give each other, but other animals and people don't get.
The 2009 Swine Flu that is going around in people right now, is really named:
Influenza A, Novel H1N1, but is nicknamed "The Swine Flu" because it is a strain of the same virus that causes the flu in pigs. The difference is this one has mutated into a new strain that is able to go from pigs to people and people to people and even from people back to pigs.
To confuse just a little further, part of the reason this strain, Novel H1N1, is different and why we don't have vaccines for it yet, is that it is a brand new kind that just "morphed" into being. It came from a combination of the two of the original flus that pigs can get (Asian and European) with a kind that birds get called "Bird flu" or Avian Flu (H5N1) and then morphed again with some human virus genomes to become the Novel H1N1 2009 Swine Flu. The process of combining the four types of flu into one new one is called a quadruple reassortant.
So the answer is yes, people can give the one that is the new one, the "2009 Swine Flu" (Novel H1N1, aka A-H1N1/09) to each other.
SARS affected 26 countries. Three of the 7 coronaviruses cause much more severe, and sometimes fatal, respiratory infections in humans than other coronaviruses
SARS-CoV2 disease 2019 (COVID-19)
MERS-CoV dentified in 2012 (MERS).
SARS-CoV identified in 2002 (SARS)
The 2009 H1N1 Pandemic Swine flu is a new strain of flu. It has proven to be very highly contagious, but vaccines have now been developed for it. The best way to avoid the dangers of this virus is to get the vaccination. The symptoms are pretty miserable for most people, even if it is not as deadly as some types of flu (like bird flu), or as deadly as was initially feared, why be sick like that if you can be vaccinated to prevent it?
Just like any other flu that you could catch, the severe respiratory symptoms, like pneumonia, can be serious and even deadly. But the early monitoring is suggesting mortality rates are lower than feared and the chances are better of your surviving. With the right anti-viral medications, you can lessen the symptoms and shorten the duration of the episode.
Be sure to: wash your hands as much as possible, cover your cough with your ELBOW (NOT YOUR HAND), do not touch your face...for protection!
99% of all people tested in the US for the type of flu they have are being found to have the swine flu during the time when normally we would see the seasonal flu. The CDC advises that you be vaccinated as soon as you can be as we enter the fall and winter flu season. The swine flu vaccine is included in the regular flu vaccination for the 2011-2012 flu season in the US.
Swine Flu can be dangerous to people who have underlying chronic diseases, are pregnant, are a young child, or others with immature or under-functioning immune systems. But to the average person it is less likely to make its full effects on you.
See the related questions below for more information about those at higher risk and the vaccines approved for A-H1N1/09.
Swine flu is only about as dangerous as seasonal flu. I am a doctor and work at Southern Orthopedic Medical Center located in Atlanta Georgia. If you take the right precautions, it can help prevent you from getting sick. More people are getting sick with common seasonal flu than the swine flu. Be sure to wash your hands, and stay home when you ARE sick, to prevent anyone else from getting sick, and also to help yourself.
Why does hand sanitizer have alcohol?
So it can clean and kill all bacteria on your hands!
If you read the back of a bottle of hand sanitizer, it will tell you the purpose of it containing Ethyl Alcohol.
For those of you that still crave an answer, here it is!
Ethyl Alcohol and Isopropyl Alcohol are known to be Antiseptics, or drugs that kill germs and bacteria. It is through the use of this that hand sanitizer contains alcohol.
The following is an improvement contributed by user Drstu:
Contrary to the popular myth, alcohol-based hand sanitizers do not "clean" the hands; alcohol does not penetrate dirty/soiled skin, explaining why manufacturers of alcohol-based products recommend "wash before applying".
Crazy, right? Of course it is! Exactly why alcohol-free, rinse-free hand sanitizer products are becoming ever-more popular with experts that have actually researched the differences between legacy, alcohol gel products and water-based, non-alcohol sanitizers, most of which incorporate the organic compound benzalkonium chloride as the active ingredient.
Growing number of brands, including "Hy5", "Soapopular" and others that are being implemented across schools, corporate and government venues.
Is everyone going to die from swine flu in 2012?
Yes, the swine flu, like the similar strain of virus (the Spanish Flu) that was a rampant killer in 1918, has killed a few people so far, but nothing to compare to the number who died from the 1918 pandemic that killed more than 20 million people around the world.
Swine Flu has potential to create similar casualties, but we currently do have anti-viral medications that were not available in the earlier Spanish Flu outbreak and that will hopefully reduce the severity of this outbreak.
For information about the confirmed cases nationally and internationally along with the number of deaths, see the related links section below.
Also see the related questions for additional information on the Swine Flu.
How many swine flu cases have there been in Germany?
There may be some ongoing cases in limited locations around the world, including in Turkey, however, the specifics and counts of cases are no longer being tracked by CDC, WHO, the US states, and most other countries, now that the pandemic has been declared over. Influenza cases are monitored, but specific H1N1/09 counts (and the lab tests needed to isolate the specific virus to be able to count them correctly) aren't being done. Influenza cases in general are monitored, but statistics are not being kept for H1N1/09 cases separately from other influenza types for reporting any longer in the post pandemic phase.
What do you do if you get a fever from the flu shot?
It depends upon how much you received, your age, your size, your general state of health, and any side effects you may be having.
If you have symptoms of allergy or any atypical effects, get immediate medical care. Otherwise, contact your primary health care professional to confirm that you received too much (some dosage amounts may vary depending on the type or brand of the vaccine) and for treatment if needed.
What is the name of the microbes that cause swine flu?
The initial outbreak was called the "H1N1 influenza", or "Swine Flu"
Is it necessary to get the Swine Flu shot every year?
That will only be needed if a new mutation of the swine flu occurs that the current swine flu vaccine isn't able to prevent. In the 2009-2010 flu season in the US two shots were need, the regular seasonal flu shot and the H1N1/09 Swine flu shot. But in the current 2010-2011 flu season in the US, the seasonal flu vaccination contains the vaccine for swine flu in addition to the other varieties of flu that are expected to be circulating. So only one shot is needed this year for protection in the flu season.
Is Type A flu more dangerous than Type B flu?
Yes, most characterize it that way because:
- Orthomyxoviridae (flu viruses) in the Genera of Influenzavirus Type A have been the pathogens that have caused all of the various flu pandemics since we have known about viruses as infectious agents.
- Type A flu viruses are typically easily spread from person to person, and indirectly in common areas.
- Type A influenza virus strains mutate 2 - 3 times faster, making it more difficult to prevent infections with vaccination, as exact matches to use tare less available after only a few mutations and can be less effective in vaccines.
- With Type A viruses, the severity of the symptoms are typically worse and the duration of the illness can be longer than the Type B infections.
- There are many more opportunities to contract Type A flu than there are for getting Type B flu because there are so many host animals that can get this type of flu...more cases=more spread=more cases=more spread...
- The only types of animals that can be infected with Type B influenzavirus are Humans, seals, and ferrets. Type A has significantly more hosts besides humans, including birds, wild water fowl, swine/pigs, turkeys, dogs, cats, ferrets...
Four main virus subtypes - H1N1, H1N2, H3N2 and H3N1 - have been isolated in pigs, though the virus, like all influenza viruses, constantly mutates. When influenza viruses from different species infect pigs, the viruses can trade genes to create new versions that mix swine, human and/or avian influenza.The swine H1N1 virus is not the same as the human H1N1 virus, so vaccines for the latter won't protect from the former.
Can you give Tylenol to a person with the flu?
Yes. It is often recommended to help treat the symptoms of the flu and as a fever reducer with the flu. It is better than using aspirin which should not be used for anyone under 18 because of the risk of Reye's Syndrome.
Had swine flu vaccine last march do you need it again?
It is early February 2010, so it is not too late now to get a seasonal flu shot if you have not had one for the 2009 - 2010 flu season. The seasonal flu shot protects against three more types of flu viruses. With the seasonal shot and the swine flu H1N1 vaccinations, you will be protected against the four types of flu that have been prevalent this season.
Is it safe to travel to the Philippines while the swine flu is going around?
Hi We have a house in Vallarta and are due to travel from Scotland at the end of May. I contacted one of my friends there to ask about the situation yesterday (April 28) and his answer is below (in Spanish). Basically there are no recorded cases in Vallarta or even in the state of Jalisco and although some preventative measures have been introduced, life continues as normal. The problem is mainly confined to Distrito Federal (Mexico City) and San Luis Potosi. There is a belief that as the temprature rises the virus will not be able to survive. Hope this answers your question. Answer below Esta epidemia surgió muy repentinamente y por lo pronto está localizada solamente en la ciudad de México, área metropolitana y también en San Luis Potosí. Son los únicos
lugares en los cuales se ha registrado
En Vallarta han cerrado los bares y discotecas, en el estado de Jalisco no
se ha reportado ningún caso y para prevenir, esta mañana suspendieron las
clases de todas las escuelas por 10 días. Espero que para el mes de junio ya esté superada la crisis. Es un virus
estacional y dicen que cuando empiece a hacer más calor no puede proliferar.
Are you immune to influenza A if you take Tamiflu?
Tamiflu is an antiviral medicine and is mostly used to help you get better once you have already caught the flu. It shortens the duration of the symptoms and makes them less severe when taken within 48 hours of your first symptoms. So, the criteria for when you can consider yourself no longer contagious is the same with or without Tamiflu. But the length of time can vary from individual to individual. According to the CDC, you can consider yourself no longer contagious after 24 straight hours from your last fever (when not taking fever reducers). That will likely be sooner for someone taking tamiflu than it is for someone who is not.
What are the symptyms of Swine Flu?
The commons signs of the flu include, but are not limited to: - Headache - Fever - Chills - Sneezing - Runny / Stuffy nose / Nasal inflammation - Dry cough - Sore throat - Sweating - Body / Muscle aches - Limb / Joint pain - Loss of appetite - Exhaustion / Fatigue / Weakness - Myalgia Most cases of the flu last for 10 to 14 days, though it's common to have a cough that lingers longer.
If you have a cold can that lead to Swine Flu?
It can cause the spread of swine flu if not covered with a tissue or crook of the arm to prevent the release of respiratory droplets that can carry to virus to surfaces or even directly to other people who are nearby.
