What is The Swine Flu and What are Its Symptoms?

What exactly is Swine Flu and how concerned should we as citizens be? The “flu” is caused by the influenza virus (”flu” is short for influenza). Pigs, birds, humans and other animals (not saying humans are animals, of course) can contract flu viruses. Most of these viruses can only infect one species (humans have their own set of viruses). So, the influenza viruses of pigs and birds are different from those of humans.

However, pigs ratchet up the influenza equation a notch; they’re, ahem, a different breed altogether. Pigs can be infected with pig influenza viruses and with human and bird flu viruses (you can see already where this is going and it’s not looking pretty). These viruses get together to have a good ol’ fashioned gene swap session, and the end result is a brand new virus that is essentially a mixture of human, pig, and bird viruses (which is what the professionals refer to as “a doozy”). That is precisely what happened to create this new (and improved?) swine flu virus. The swine flu virus contains a mixture of swine, birds, and human flu viruses.

So what are the symptoms of Swine Flu Virus?

The bad part about the Swine Flu Virus is that the symtoms resemble regular flu symptoms: sore throat, runny nose, fever, general aches.

Diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea seem to be distinctives with the Swine Flu. They are not normally associated with regular flu.

Of couse, the best thing to do is to have your family physician look into it to see if it’s anything beyond the normal flu. To investigate further, he simply takes a swab of your mouth/throat or your mucus to test it in the lab.

Obviously the best advice for treating this virus is preventative in nature.

• Wash your hands thoroughly and frequently. That’s probably the single best piece of advice for this entire virus. The experts are recommending you wash for twenty seconds in hot soapy water, then take a long hit of hand sanitizer. If the hot water and soap doesn’t squelch the virus, nothing will.
• Don’t touch your hand to your face. We do this instinctively at times but in this flu season we need to be especially careful.
• Stay at home if you think you have some symptoms (I love this one!)
• If you do have some of the symtoms, see your physician immediately. Once this virus spreads, it can spread very quickly.

This swine flu virus affects children more than it does those over the age of 12. Take special care to watch for the following symptoms in children younger than two years:

• Rapid breathing
• Rash and high fever
• A bluish skin and lips color
• Not drinking or eating normally
• Being unusually irritable (probably difficult to tell the difference some times)
• Appearing unusually sleepy

Likewise, watch for the following  symptoms in kids 3-12, teens, and adults:

• Dizziness
• Shortness of breath
• Vomiting

It is estimated that the number of deaths from flu viruses will at least double this year, but much of it can be prevented.

Oh, and by the way, you can’t catch the Swine Flu from eating pork. People have asked.