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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
Was there a Swine Flu virus in 1918?
The 1918 influenza pandemic ended in the summer of 1919. The disease was first detected in the U.S. in March 1918, and it surged three separate times. The second wave of illness (in the fall of 1918) was responsible for most of the deaths.
Can you take Tamiflu and Motrin?
The healthy patient is likely to be just fine taking these two unrelated medicines in conjunction as long as the directions for each are followed to the letter.
Where can Swine Flu virus survive?
The same as any virus, swine flu virus lives in a host animal and uses the animal's cells and genetic material to reproduce itself. Viruses can also live for a while outside of the host animal, how long depends mostly on the environmental conditions, for example, moisture is required for any survival beyond a few hours. On hard dry surfaces, viruses have lived up to two hours or more.
Why is H1N1 sometimes called Swine Flu?
H5N1 is the avian flu virus. There are some confined areas of the world that up to half the pig population is testing positive for H5N1, without showing any symptoms. Pigs can carry this as well as human flu viruses. There is some concern that if a pig is carrying both, the viruses can combine and mutate into a new strain that will be easily passed among humans.
Once you have caught the Swine Flu can you get it again?
Yes, there are many different strains of H1N1 influenza and you can get a different strain than you had before. Unless you had lab testing to confirm the specific strain of H1N1 and know exactly what strain is circulating in your community, you would be wise to get a vaccination even if you were diagnosed with H1N1 in the past. The flu vaccine for the 2012-2013 flu season includes the vaccine for H1N1/09 again.
What are 10 countries that have been most affected by swine flu?
As of July 6, 2009
# United States, 33,902 cases and 170 deaths
# Mexico, 10,262 cases and 119 deaths
# Canada, 7,983 cases and 25 deaths
# United Kingdom, 7,447 cases and 3 deaths
# Chile, 7,376 cases and 14 deaths
# Australia, 5,298 cases and 10 deaths
# Argentina, 2,485 cases and 60 deaths
# Thailand, 2,076 cases and 7 deaths
# China, 2,040 cases and 0 deaths
# Japan, 1,790 cases and 0 deaths
How long will the swine flu outbreak last?
A pandemic can last from a few weeks (as in the case of the recent "swine" and "bird" flus), through to a year or two (the "Spanish" influenza) and even decades (as HIV/AIDS is considered a pandemic) or centuries (the Black Death).
How many people have died in India from Swine Flu?
As of November 22, 2009, there have been 16,328 cases and 553 deaths
in India from A-H1N1/09 Pandemic Swine Flu.
See also related questions for the symptoms of this virus, the methods to avoid getting it, information on who is at higher risk of complications, and how it is spread and treated.
For more information:
All India toll free helpline: 1075 or 1800-11-4377
•Delhi: Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital: 011-24525211, 23404328, 23365525
•Delhi: Deen Dayal Hospital: 011-2512 5259
•Kolkata: Infectious Diseases Hospital: 09433392182 / 09434009077
•Chennai: Communicable Diseases Hospital - 044-25912686.
•Coimbatore: Coimbatore Medical College Hospital - 09442012555
•Hyderabad: AP Chest Diseases Hospital: 040-23814939
•Mumbai: Kasturba Hospital: 022-23083901, 23083902, 23083903, 23083904
•Pune: Dr Naidu Infectious Disease Hospital - 09923130909
•Bangalore: Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases - 91-80-26632634
Generally speaking, you will be better equipped to fight off a viral infection if you have a strong immune system, but the only thing that will give you full protection is to have immunity developed from having had the same type of flu before, or from taking a vaccination against that specific flu strain.
An added aid for your body to use to help protect you from swine flu, would be use of the anti-viral medications that are being prescribed to help fight the influenza viruses, such as Tamiflu and Relenza.
(See information in the related questions below about how your body fights swine flu and about A-H1N1/09 Vaccines and other treatments for the Novel H1N1 Swine Flu.)
That is a very broad timetable. Some girls get pregnant right away, though others can't get pregnant for years. Also, because the uterine lining gets broken down, it may be harder to maintain a pregnancy. My husband and I got pregnant after being off the depo. I only took 1 shot and was off for four months before getting pregnant and at 6 weeks I had a miscarriage. This was my second miscarriage and i believe the baby was somehow detached from the uterine lining, possibly because it was too weak to support the growing fetus.
What is the difference between influenza and flu?
'Flu' is just the abbreviation of 'Influenza'.
In - 'Flu' - enza
Why do you get a fever when you get the flu?
When you have a fever your internal thermostat is set too high therefore a room temperature which would feel comfortable if your temperature was normal gives you a chill if your temperature is raised.
The above answer is an oversimplification. When you shiver, it is your body's way of warming itself up. The repetitive oscillations of your muscles give off heat which raise the body's core temperature. When you have a fever, it is because your body is using the heat to kill off the invading organisms. When it needs a little more help getting the core temperature up, it signals the body to begin shivering to raise the temperature even more.
Is the Swine Flu the same thing as the spanish flu?
Although I am no expert on the matter, by any means, I am in the medical field, and am actually working on a research project involving these 2 Influenzas. I will give basics only, because if not, I could type forever.
1) Avian Flu, H5N1, is but one type of "bird flu" and is the subtype of influenza that initially created a panic of public concern, as it has roughly a 50% - 60% mortality rate in humans. This kind of avian influenza is only spread from bird to human, through DIRECT contact with a bird, its saliva, or feces that carry the virus particles. It has not mutated or evolved, yet, to make the jump to be able to transfer from human to human (except in extremely rare and unique circumstances), which is the main thing preventing another massive and deadly pandemic, as was seen in the 1918 "Spanish" Flu pandemic, and the 2009 pandemic of H1N1/09.
In 2013, a new type of avian flu (H7N9) has been found circulating in China. As of April 2013, there have been 18 deaths from this new bird flu in China. It is yet to be seen what its total effect will be.
2) Spanish Flu (included in the subtype of H1N1) could quite possibly be viewed as the worst disaster in human history, as far as diseases go. First identified in 1918 as a new infectious disease (although viruses as the cause were an unknown pathogen to science at the time), Spanish Flu killed more people in 1 year than the Bubonic Plague did in 4 years. It caused very high fevers, delirium, and eventually excess fluid in the lungs, sometimes with hemorrhaging... where the individual eventually can "drown" in his own body fluids. It is believed that a severe immune response called "Cytokine Storm" reaction in many people with this flu added to the excess fluid build up and to the numbers of deaths.
It only took a matter of hours after the first symptoms were noted for some to die. It contributed to anywhere from 40 million to 100 million deaths from 1918 to 1920. To put it into perspective, and for comparison sake--- most people who caught the Spanish flu died from it. It killed 15 million in the first 25 weeks, while AIDS has killed 25 million people in 25 years.
While the 2 viruses H5N1 (the original "bird flu") and H1N1 (the original "swine flu") are related (both are Type A influenzas, the type of flu that has caused all human flu pandemics to date), we can now help to avoid another such deadly pandemic like Spanish flu, thanks to the advances in medicine since 1918 (including most of our current antibiotics to use for secondary bacterial infections that were just being developed at the time, and the understanding of and treatment for "Cytokine Storm," thought to be a factor in the numbers of deaths).... but at the same time, we also must consider the growth in population, and our advances in transportation and frequent world-wide travel which could make it a lot easier to spread the disease faster and farther.
What illness do you have if you have a cough and sore throat?
its most probably viral fever.......fever with muscle pain also suggests malaria.....but can be ruled out as u have respiratory symptoms...but still can be a differential .....need more history for that diagnosis....ur location, travel history n more..........get some rest.....good sleep n heavy protein food...take VIT C 1000mg/day till u r cured....if symptom worsens or persists go see a GP ASAP....recovery period est: 10 days....u dun need an antibiotic so dun waste your money
What are the chances of getting Swine Flu?
Very little chance of getting the flu in spite of getting a flu shot. Perhaps 10%, probably less, of the people who get the flu vaccination end up getting the flu anyway. In most cases these people have a problem that affects their immune systems and doesn't allow them to achieve a full immune response that is needed for immunity. Studies have shown reductions in flu by up to 90% from the effective use of flu vaccinations. It is safer to get the vaccine than to risk going without it.
You needn't worry about getting the flu from the shot. Flu vaccines are made in two forms, either from deactivated ("dead") viruses, or from "attenuated" viruses, which have been processed so that they can not make you sick. Attenuated means weakened.
In the US flu vaccines come in both forms. The attenuated versions are administered in nasal sprays and the inert vaccines are prepared for injections into the muscle. See the related questions below for more details.
Can you take Tamiflu and acetaminophen?
Yes, you can take acetaminophen and fluoxetine (Prozac) together without any adverse side effects. Keep in mind that you should take no more than 1000mg of acetaminophen in a 4-6 hour period and no more than 4g in 24 hours.
It is just like a regular shot, however people have said that afterwords your arm aches more than usual. Some people have also had other effects like the chills; feeling like they had a touch of the flu, but it's different for every person
What are the pros and cons of getting the flu shot?
Pro:
- Over 36,000 people die from the seasonal flu each year in the US. Flu vaccinations help prevent more deaths.
- When you get vaccinated, you help prevent death in infants, elderly and the ill who can not get their own vaccinations, or who can not produce the needed immune response to have their own immunity. ALL infants under 6 months old could die if you get the flu and give it to them either directly or indirectly. They can not be vaccinated until 6 months old, so your immunity from the flu vaccine is mostly what they rely upon to protect them (by having one less person infected with influenza, rapidly making and spreading more viruses, and spreading influenza to many more people who will do the same, exposing more and more infants and others to potential harm and death).
- You have a significantly decreased chance of getting a flu virus that season and some protection in the future against the same or similar viruses so you will not be one of the 36,000 who die from the flu each year.
- Flu vaccines are made the same way as they have been for decades and the statistical analysis indicates it is far safer than not getting vaccinated. The incidence of problems from receiving vaccinations is extremely low, especially when you consider these are given every year in every nation across the world to millions upon millions of people and have, thus, been proven safe. They are proven well worth any minor risks. See the information below from VAERS (US Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System) in the related links section.
- You can not get the flu from the vaccines.
- There are now alternative administration routes and many people no longer have to be vaccinated with a shot. See the related questions.
Con:
- Some people have stronger immune reactions to the vaccine (intended purpose, this is how immunity is produced) that will cause mild flu symptoms or local tenderness at the site of the injection that last a few days.
- Incorrect information is spread about the safety of the vaccines and people are afraid to get the vaccine which puts all infants under 6 months old at higher risk of death from a case of the flu.
- A very small number of people will have allergic reactions and some die. This is true for all medications on the market, none are without some risk. Even over-the-counter Tylenol and aspirin have as many or more risks and untoward effects when used as do flu vaccines.
- It used to be that anyone allergic to eggs could not be vaccinated due to the manufacturing process which uses eggs and chicken protein as the growth medium for the viruses to use in the vaccines. However, see the related question for new information about that.
- Fear of needles can prevent use of the injectable vaccines, but there are the nasal spray and intradermal formulations that can be used now. See more in related questions.
- Some people fear the traces of mercury and thimerosol in the vaccines, however, studies have not found any association with these, in the minute amounts contained in the vaccines, and significant side effects. The amount of mercury is about the same as a single meal of fish.
Does H1N1 vaccine cause infertility?
Vaccines affect different people in different ways.
That said, the H1N1/09 potential severity is an exaggeration, and there have been a large number of instances across Asia where the vaccination has been linked to a sudden onset of infertility or miscarriage in patients.
Research any vaccine that you feel you may want to take, and arm yourself with the facts, it might mean the difference between life and death.
NO.
This concern goes back to 2008 and before (before H1N1/09). It is mostly derived from information about infertility in mice, in some trials of influenza vaccines, that indicated the vaccine could be linked to problems with reproductive function...in mice. However, currently the links in humans appear to be only anecdotal and coincidental or extremely rare and not yet analyzed fully.
The data collected and reported by the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) about adverse events from H1N1/09 vaccines, does not include a concern about this for humans from use of the current flu vaccines. However, it is always evaluated and reports are encouraged for follow up study which is ongoing.
The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) does not list this as a reason to avoid vaccinations for the H1N1/09 influenza, and they are still strongly encouraging the use in both pregnant women and those who are desiring pregnancy because of the high risk of complications and death from the H1N1/09 flu in that population. The risk of having the flu with complications and/or death is still significantly greater than the risk of untoward effects of vaccinations in women.
Knowledge is always important in health care decisions. Read all you can find, ask your health care professionals and pharmacists often about things you read or hear. Stay alert to information from the right sources such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the proper sources of other information, such as the ACOG and other Boards of Medical Specialties. If you are not yourself a health care professional who can evaluate and interpret the medical specialty reports, and if you have a concern, go to the proper sources on the internet and ask your doctor.
Use discretion when it comes to believing what you hear and read. There is so much available on the internet, not all of which comes from valid and reliable sources, it is difficult to discern fact from fiction from fears. Ask your doctor if what you have read is valid. There is a lot of speculation, misinformation, and undue concern along with pertinent and factual information available at our fingertips today.
Although there may be anecdotal evidence to suggest this, and there is the study in mice, there are no analyzed reports of infertility in women as an adverse effect of the vaccine or a trend in the incoming data to VAERS that have been released by the VAERS reporting system for vaccine adverse events. No changes have been made in the recommendations for use of the flu vaccines.
Remember that these vaccines contain all the same ingredients and are made the exact same way as seasonal influenza vaccinations have been for decades of use (including Polysorbate 80, the ingredient that has been the focus of this concern). The only difference in ingredients is the type of flu virus each year included in the vaccines. This has not been a trend found over all these years of use, although for the sake of safety, it is always being monitored and evaluated.
See the related links below in the related links section for more information.
Do you use a tuberculin syringe to give flu shots?
No, a tuberculin syringe is intended for use in intradermal injections and the flu shot is given intramuscularly. The needle on a tuberculin syringe is not the right size.
Does the flu shot have swine ingredients?
No, except the virus itself does contain portions of DNA from swine, human and avian influenza genomes. The only protein used in the manufacture of the vaccine was from chicken eggs in which the virus was grown for production. There are tiny/trace amounts of that. For a full list of ingredients of the various vaccines see the related question below.
How long do flu symptoms last?
According to information from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
"The typical incubation period for influenza is 1-4 days (average: 2 days). Adults shed influenza virus from the day before symptoms begin through 5-10 days after illness onset. However, the amount of virus shed, and presumably infectivity, decreases rapidly by 3-5 days after onset in an experimental human infection model. Young children also might shed virus several days before illness onset, and children can be infectious for 10 or more days after onset of symptoms. Severely immunocompromised persons can shed virus for weeks or months.
"Uncomplicated influenza illness typically resolves after 3-7 days for the majority of persons, although cough and malaise can persist for >2 weeks. However, influenza virus infections can cause primary influenza viral pneumonia; exacerbate underlying medical conditions (e.g., pulmonary or cardiac disease); lead to secondary bacterial pneumonia, sinusitis, or otitis media; or contribute to co-infections with other viral or bacterial pathogens."
Are the bird flu and H1N1 the same?
Tamiflu is an anti-viral medication that can be prescribed for influenza and other viral infections. It is effective against swine flu and can be helpful to shorten the duration and reduce the severity of symptoms.
Is Swine Flu bacterial or viral?
I'm Pretty sure it's a virus but then again you can spread the flu by sneezing and things like that so I'm not sure
By a Year 6 student
