On the odd occasion, this virus undergoes mutations to form a new virus strain that is able to pass from human to another with relative ease. Therefore, it has been concluded that the strain that is responsible for the 2009 swine flu outbreak, has undergone such a mutation.

What is Swine Influenza?

Swine influenza virus, endemic to pig populations, is said to be caused by the Orthomyxo viruses. Strains of the swine flu virus, isolated to date, have been classified as a subtype of the genus influenza virus A. The new strain is an obvious reassortment of several strains of influenza A virus subtype H1N1, which include a strain that is endemic in humans and two strains that are endemic in pigs, as well as an avian influenza virus. Reassortment is common feature in influenza viruses; this is because of the structure of their genome. However, this particular reassortment is consistent with its ability to transmit the mutated virus from pigs to humans. In the current scenario, the outbreak of this disease has been termed as the “public health emergency of international concern,” by the World Health Organization. Moreover, most concerned officials lack any knowledge with regard to its clinical features, epidemiology, and virology as well as the appropriate responses needed as a result. All the concerned government health agencies around the world are monitoring the situation closely. Swine flu is spread amongst humans on contact. The spread of the 2009 swine flu outbreak owes its existence to a new strain of H1N1 influenza virus, which was first detected in March 2009 by public health officials. There are serious concerns expressed about this novel strain because it has had a relatively high mortality rate in Mexico, and now has the potential to become a full fledged flu pandemic.

How is swine flu prevented?

Recommendations to prevent infection by the virus consist of the standard personal precautions against influenza. This includes:

Frequent washing of hands with soap and water or with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer Avoid touching the mouth, nose or eyes with the hands unless they have been washed first Cough into a tissue and throw it in the garbage immediately or if bare hands are used to cover the nose and mouth then the hands must be washed immediately.

Many countries have also confirmed that all the inbound international passengers will be screened. They will ask each passenger which countries they have visited as well as feel or look for particularly unwell passengers. Furthermore, CDC has also recommended the use of Tamiflu and Relenza for both treatment and prevention of this new strain. Some physicians also recommend the use of masks in public places as this decrease the likelihood of transmission of the virus when around an infected person. Swine flu can be further prevented by:

Knowing all the signs of swine flu which include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills, fatigue, diarrhoea and vomiting. Make sure you are in good health; get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food. Practice good hygiene; while sneezing place a disposable tissue over your mouth, throw the tissue away after use and wash your hands regularly after blowing your nose/sneezing and before you eat. Don’t share utensils or drinks.

How are swine influenza symptoms recognised?

The symptoms of H1N1 flu in people are expected to be similar to the symptoms of regular human seasonal influenza and include fever, lethargy, lack of appetite and coughing. Some people with swine flu also have reported runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Anyone with symptoms of influenza should call their healthcare provider. In humans, the symptoms of swine flu are similar to those of influenza and of influenza-like illness. However, the strain responsible for the 2009 swine flu outbreak is normally known to cause only mild symptoms and the infected person recovers fully in a few days.

Are there ways to reduce the spread of this disease?

The flu virus is normally thought to spread from person to person contact in respiratory droplets of coughs and sneezes. This happens when droplets from cough or sneezes are propelled through the air and deposited on the mouth or nose of uninfected people nearby. Moreover, it could also spread when a person touches respiratory droplets on another person or an object and then touches their own mouth or nose before washing the hands. Taking the following measures will surely arrest it from spreading to healthy humans. For this you must:

Check with your health care provider about any special care that you might need, especially if you are pregnant or have health conditions like diabetes, heart disease, asthma, or emphysema Check about all your antiviral medications Stay at home for 7 days after the start of illness Drink clear fluids to keep yourself hydrated Cover up when coughing or sneezing; was your hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub Avoid close contact with infected people When going out in public places always wear a mask Keep the sick person away from other people as much as possible Maintain good ventilation in shared household areas Use antivirals to prevent the flu after checking with your healthcare provider

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What is Cold and Flu

Is it a cold or the flu? While a common cold, including chest cold and head cold, can be caused by more than 200 viruses, seasonal flu is caused by either influenza A or B viruses. Cold and flu remedies can usually ease symptoms. Antiviral medications like Relenza or Tamiflu are helpful if prescribed soon after flu symptoms start.Influenza (commonly known as the flu) and colds are among the most common infections of the respiratory system. People often confuse the two, calling a bad cold the “flu,” or vice versa.

Typically, the flu (also known as influenza) has symptoms that make a child feel worse than symptoms associated with a common cold, but it’s not always that easy to tell the difference between the two.

What are the causes of the flu?

Influenza viruses are divided into three types, designated A, B, and C. Influenza types A and B are responsible for epidemics of respiratory illness that occur almost every winter and are often associated with increased rates of hospitalization and death. Influenza type C differs from types A and B in some important ways.

The truth is, the flu and the common cold are caused by viruses. People get sick more often in the winter because they are exposed to each other more in the winter than in the summer. When it is cold outside, people tend to stay inside and are more likely to spread germs to one another.

The flu is caused by three types (strains) of viruses — influenza A, B and C. Type A is responsible for the deadly influenza pandemics (worldwide epidemics) that strike every 10 to 40 years. Type B can lead to smaller, more localized outbreaks. And either types A or B can cause the flu that circulates almost every winter. Type C has never been connected with a large epidemic.

Symptoms of Cold and Flu

Viral pharyngitis may develop gradually. It is often accompanied by the flu or a cold, and body aches. If a fever is present, it will generally be in the range of 101 degrees F or below.With cold symptoms, your nose teems with watery nasal secretions for the first few days. Later, these become thicker and darker. Dark mucus is natural and does not usually mean you have developed a bacterial infection, such as a sinus infection.

Recognizing the symptoms of the common cold is important for a few reasons. If you realize what symptoms are bothering you the most, you will know which medications will help relieve them.

Introduction to cold, flu, and allergy treatments

Every year, millions of people use over-the-counter (OTC) products to relieve nasal stuffiness and congestion, sneezing, runny noses, sore throat, and cough. The common causes of these symptoms include the viruses that cause the common cold, influenza virus, allergic rhinitis (hay fever), and sinus infections (sinusitis).

ince it is caused by a virus, antibiotics do not work against the common cold. These types of upper respiratory infections go away on their own and taking antibiotics will not help your child get better any faster and will likely not prevent secondary bacterial infections, such as an ear infection or sinus infection.

For thick phlegm, patients may try cough medications that contain guaifenesin (Robitussin, Scot-Tussin Expectorant), which loosens mucus. Patients should not suppress coughs that produce mucus and phlegm; it is important to expel this substance. To loosen phlegm, patients should drink plenty of fluids and use a humidifier or steamer.Take paracetamol to control fever, aches and pains (adults can use aspirin). Early use of antiviral medication may shorten the length and severity of illness. Consult a doctor to discuss treatment.

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What makes swine flu so dangerous is that like all influenza viruses it undergoes the process of antigenic drift. This is when spot mutations occur on the genetic material that causes slight changes in the physical make-up of the virus.

These slight changes are what frustrate scientist’s attempts to create the ultimate vaccination for influenza. Due to constant changes to the protein particles of the outer coats of viruses (which the immune system is targeted for during vaccination) new vaccines are always needed to combat ever new versions of the viruses.

Swine flu is an example of such a change. But what are these changes and what parts of the virus causes the damage that destroys normal healthy cells?

The H1N1 designation of the swine flu virus gives us a clue to the inner workings of the virus. It represents the major functional proteins on its surface.

The ‘H’ stands for hemagglutinin which is a protein that binds the swine flu virus to the cell and injects its content into it.

The ‘N’ stands for neuraminidase which possesses a number of specialized enzymes that causes the infected cells to release the newly formed viruses.

All these aspects of swine flu make it potentially very dangerous. Even though the form that is currently spreading is relatively mild it could still change into a virulent strain in the next few months before winter arrives. The fact that it’s also a new disease means that there is no current vaccine for swine flu. So if it becomes more deadly, we will have no protection against it except for those provided by generic anti-viral drugs like Tamiflu and Relenza.

Tamiflu works by blocking the action of neuroamindase, obstructing the flu virus’s ability to spread from one cell to the other. But it is only effective as a treatment if it is used in the first few days during the onset of swine flu. The problem with anti-viral drugs is that it is often very difficult to diagnose the onset of swine flu. By the time the disease is identified it’s often too late to use the drugs. This is one of the reasons the effectiveness of anti-virals drugs has been called into question.

So we are currently exposed to the full potential of swine flu. We know the devastation that influenza viruses can cause, the Spanish flu pandemic infected more than one third of the world’s population and killed more than 50 million people.

We have no choice but to be vigilant to the spread of swine flu. Millions will undoubtedly catch the disease and many more will die from it. All we can do is hope that it doesn’t become more virulent and cause too much death. In its current mild form we can contain it and can control the worse of its symptoms through the use of anti-viral drugs. But if it changes we could be in trouble. Even the vaccines that are currently been developed might not be as effective if the change is marked. What we have to remember is that it is dangerous because it is so changeable and in light of this we have no choice but to treat it with extreme caution.

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Influenza is a common disease that can strike an individual anytime. But it is not to be taken lightly as it may lead to other diseases. It results from infection with influenza viruses and the effect of these viruses can be found on upper respiratory tract, nose and throat. Upon non-treatment of influenza, the infection also may affect lungs and bronchi which are risky. Influenza is contagious disease and may spread like an epidemic if not taken care in time.

As influenza is a viral disease, is should only be treated with anti-viral drug like Tamiflu. It cannot be treated with anti-bacterial drugs like antibiotics. While antibiotics help in suppressing the symptoms of influenza it does not treat it. In case of anti-viral drugs like Tamiflu, it acts directly on the influenza virus and is thus a better drug as compared to any other drug. This drug senses the influenza virus and helps one get rid of it by treating it.

Tamiflu is a prescription drug hence one requires a prescription before starting its dosage. This prescription can either be a normal prescription from a doctor or an online prescription. With this prescription in hand, one can order and buy his or her Tamiflu dosage. This drug has not shown any efficacy in treatments other than treatment of type A and B viruses. It has been observed that its effect is not shown in treatment of a patient with influenza if the patient has contact with the disease at least before 40 hours.

Patients should take any missed dose of Tamiflu as soon as he or she remembers except for when the patient’s next dosage is nearby. This drug is not a substitute for flu vaccinations or immunisation practices. Patients who are pregnant and a ****** feeding women may be prescribed Tamiflu but it should be done with a doctor’s consent, as clinical data on their usage during that period has not been established as of yet. Patients with heart disorders, lung diseases, allergy, hypertension, high blood pressure and diabetes etc. should take proper consultation with a doctor before starting the dosage of Tamiflu.

Vomiting, nausea, bronchitis, diarrhoea, headache, dizziness, abdominal pains are some of the side effects that may occur due to the intake of Tamiflu. In case of serious side effects one should stop taking Tamiflu drug and consult a health professional or a doctor. Though overdose of Tamiflu has not been established as of yet, single doses of it up to 1000 mg has been associated with vomiting and nausea.

To order and purchase Tamiflu a patient needs a prescription as it is an FDA approved prescription drug. Get hold of your Tamiflu prescription order and buy it through an online drug store. These are the stores that may lend you the happiness of making online purchases as these are cost effective and easy.

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Swine flu is a type of virus. It’s named for a virus that infects mainly pigs. It normally does not infect people, but human infections can and do happen. The virus is contagious and can spread from human to human. The current swine influenza A (H1N1) virus has components of pig and bird influenza viruses in it, so the humans don’t have any immunity to it. That makes it more likely to become a pandemic virus (have the ability to cause a global outbreak) if it can easily spread from person-to-person. There are antiviral medicines you can take to prevent or treat swine flu. This particular virus is resistant to the antiviral medications amantadine (Symmetrel) and rimantadine (Flumadine), but is sensitive to oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza). There is no vaccine available right now to protect against swine flu.

Symptoms

The symptoms of swine flu are very similar to the common flu that occurs in humans. The symptoms are mostly fever, cold, cough, runny nose, body aches, diarrhea, vomiting, headache etc. In swine flu the symptoms might be more severe like breathlessness, very high grade fever, loss of appetite and fluid intake, listlessness etc.

The important fact is to prevent the spread of this infection. Since it spreads through fomites i.e. through air, infected articles like tissue, paper, pen etc, the preventive measures are very important.

Prevent spread

The measures that can be taken to prevent spread of this particular swine flu are –

1 Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.

2 Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. You can also use alcohol-based hand sanitizers.

3 Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.

4 Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

5 Stay home from work or school if you are sick.

6 Consult a doctor immediately when in doubt about your symptoms.

Important thing to remember is that people with swine flu are likely contagious for one day before and up to seven days after they began to get sick with swine flu symptoms. Also, anti-flu medications, including Tamiflu (oseltamivir) and Relenza (zanamivir), are available to prevent and treat swine flu.

For more tips on prevention and cure of illnesses, post your queries on http://www.simplyanswer.com

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