Swine flu is a new flu strain that originated in Mexico. It is a virus that is a novel combination of human, bird and pig flu strains. In Mexico more that 150 people have died so far and there have been 40 confirmed cases in the U.S. No one has yet died in the U.S. Experts believe this may be because the spread of the infection in the U.S. is so recent, and fear that more serious cases may appear in the future. The CDC is calling this a level 4 pandemic, meaning that human to human transmission is occurring. There have been no cases in Nevada thus far.
The virus is spread from human to human just like a regular flu virus. You CANNOT get the swine flu from eating pork. To protect yourself you need to look out for flu symptoms in yourself, your family, and others. Flu symptoms are: fever, body aches, headache, fatigue, sore throat, cough, and runny or stuffy nose. If you have these symptoms, you need to get to your doctor within the next 24 to 48 hours. Your doctor will then test you for flu and will likely start you on an anti-flu drug. Tamiflu and Relenza are two anti-viral medications that appear to be effective against swine flu. There is no vaccine against swine flu currently, and it will likely take up to six months to develop this vaccine. The flu vaccine given last fall is not effective against swine flu. If you do develop flu symptoms, you need to stay home from work or school. In the meantime, it is important to wash your hands frequently, especially after contact with anyone else. In addition, it's a good idea to carry an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with you to use when soap and water is not available. Remember to cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough and remind your kids to do the same. The CDC is recommending against any travel to Mexico until further notice.
It is NOT helpful to start an anti-flu drug like Tamiflu or Relenza unless you have actually been diagnosed with the flu by a doctor. Overuse of the drug Tamiflu in the past four years has led to a high level of resistence is common flu strains. Over 80% of influenza A viruses (most common flus are influenza A) are now resistant to Tamiflu, probably because of overuse and inappriate use. You don't want to use the medication before you actually need it, because that will increase the risk that swine flu will eventually become resistant to it.
This was posted by Kass Cornia. If you have any questions please give me a call anytime.
