Top Five Things to Know About Swine Flu

Though it has not yet technically reached pandemic proportions, the swine flu outbreak is certainly making headlines and causing concern for millions of people.  Having originated in Mexico, there are now cases in Canada, the US, Scotland, France, New Zealand, Hong Kong, and several other places around the world.  Schools are closed, governments are taking protective measures, and people are starting to panic in many parts of the world.  With dozens dead and hundreds infected, this outbreak is sure to stay in the public eye for the next few weeks at least.

But what exactly IS swine flu?  What do you need to know about it?  Take a look at these, the Top 5 Most Important things to know about swine flu.

How Ready is the World to Face a Pandemic of Swine Flu?

The US and other leading world governments have stockpiled millions of doses of vaccine and treatments for this and other diseases likely to cause pandemics.  The swine – and other variants of – flu is particularly well-prepared for, in no small part due to the avian flu scares in recent years.  Though influenza has a historical reputation as a major killer, today (at least in the developed world) it is a fairly mild threat with easy treatments.

The US has an extremely detailed plan for pandemic preparation, prevention, and treatment which is already in effect.  Created under President G. W. Bush with the help of the WHO, this plan lays out exactly the series of steps which should be taken, the order in which they will be most effective, and when to enact them.  However, there are a few weaknesses in the system.  The US is a central travel hub for much of the world, and the effects of globalization dramatically increase the ease of spreading of diseases.  There is also only one medical facility in the country which produces the vaccine on an economical scale; if it came down to it, it would be months before supplies could be replenished.

Is This Actually a Pandemic?

This is certainly nothing like the Spanish flu outbreak of 1918, which killed an estimated 50 million people worldwide.  A flu pandemic generally occurs when an influenza virus mutates in such a fashion that people’s immune system is unprepared to fight it.  This is most often seen in cases where the virus originates in an animal; the avian flu is an example of this, as is the new swine flu.