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The Swine Flu |
May 1, 2009
What is the swine flu?
In many places around the world, there has been a lot of recent attention focused on the “swine flu,” which refers to a type of influenza virus similar in many ways to the sort of flu virus that commonly goes around in winter.
The swine flu got its name because it was originally believed to be a strain of flu that normally affects pigs. – Just like people can get sick with a flu virus, so can animals; it’s as normal among many animals as the “regular” flu is among people.
The specific strain of flu that has recently been going around (referred to as “swine flu” by many) is called the “H1N1” strain. Some doctors and scientists are now saying that this flu strain might not be as specific to swine as they originally thought, and may actually be a combination of flu strains from several animals, such as birds, pigs, and humans. Nevertheless, for a flu strain like this to suddenly pose a problem and spread so quickly has some people and health organizations concerned and looking for ways to keep the outbreak as mild and contained as possible.
Recent outbreaks.
No one is exactly sure why this flu first arose and is suddenly causing so many people to get sick. The current outbreak of the H1N1 flu is believed to have started in Mexico, although the exact source of the outbreak is still not known (such as a specific farm where workers might have picked up the germs). Because the virus seems to be spreading by person to person contact, there are now several other countries reporting illnesses of H1N1 flu as well, including Canada, the United States, Spain, England, New Zealand, and Israel. In many cases, those who are sick are people who have recently returned from trips to Mexico, or people who have been in contact with others who have recently returned from Mexico.
The known symptoms of the H1N1 flu are mostly very similar to those of the “regular” flu, such as fever, aches, coughing, sore throat, and tiredness. Some people are also reporting vomiting or diarrhea, which is a little different than most other flu illnesses.
While many of the H1N1 flu cases in Mexico were more severe, the cases reported in most other countries, including the United States, have been much milder so far.
Now what?
Health officials, scientists, government workers, and doctors are all looking for ways to prevent the H1N1 flu virus from continuing to pass among people. Many countries are recommending that people avoid travel to Mexico or are inspecting people for signs of illness as they enter the country from an international flight. Certain places with larger numbers of confirmed cases are also closing schools and other public places such as sports arenas and movie theatres where numerous people gather into the same space and can spread germs more easily. The US government is also trying to create a vaccine to prevent further illnesses from occurring.
It’s possible that more people will continue to get sick before the outbreak of this virus is over, but it is very difficult to predict what will happen.
How can I help?
Most health officials are saying that the best way to prevent the spread of H1N1 flu and to protect yourself from getting it is by washing your hands frequently and avoiding contact with sick people. Just like many other germs, the H1N1 flu virus passes through the air when someone coughs or sneezes so you should always make sure to cover your nose and mouth with a tissue whenever you sneeze or cough, and to properly throw away the tissue afterwards. Researchers believe that H1N1 flu germs can probably live on surfaces like doorknobs or tabletops for about two hours, but will live for longer on your skin or hands. Washing frequently with soap and water can help you to prevent these from entering your body when you touch your nose and mouth. You can also be careful to avoid touching your nose, mouth, or face unless you have just washed your hands.
Current findings do not suggest that people can contract H1N1 flu from eating pork. Any of the germs which may be present in the meat can be killed and eliminated with proper cooking and by washing hands and cleaning kitchen surfaces after preparing meat.
If you are not feeling well, talk to your parents and your doctor, who will be able to determine whether or not you need to be tested for signs of this flu and consider staying home as a precaution, so that you can avoid spreading your germs to others. Unfortunately previous flu shots are unlikely to offer very much protection against this specific outbreak.
Until health officials are able to know more, the best thing you can do is take good care of yourself! And if you’re worried, talk about it with the grown-ups that you trust! – Try to remember to wash you hands often and keep in mind that with the exception of the initial outbreak in Mexico, most of the people who have been sick since then have luckily been able to recover pretty easily.