Be aware of Swine flu : Summary Human swine flu is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by a new strain of influenza virus. It is also known as human swine influenza or H1N1 Influenza 09. Cases of human swine flu have been confirmed in countries throughout the world including Australia. A free vaccine is now available. Human swine flu is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by a new strain of influenza virus. Symptoms of human swine flu include a fever (temperature over 38°C), cough, sore throat, aches and tiredness. Human swine flu is also known as human swine influenza, influenza A (H1N1) virus or H1N1 influenza 09.The name ‘swine flu’ comes from a strain of the virus that is found in pigs. In 2009, a new strain of the swine flu virus that affects humans was identified. Cases of human swine flu have been confirmed in countries throughout the world including Australia. Despite some deaths in Victoria, the majority of cases of human swine flu have so far been mild and can be compared to the normal seasonal flu. Most people recover without any medical treatment. However, like seasonal flu, human swine flu may make underlying chronic medical conditions worse in vulnerable people. Symptoms : The symptoms of human swine flu usually cause short-term illness similar to seasonal flu. Symptoms may include: • High temperature • Cough • Sore throat • Body aches • Running nose • Headache • Chills • Fatigue • Diarrhoea and vomiting (on occasions). Stay home if you have flu-like symptoms : If you have flu-like symptoms, you should stay at home and not attend work or school. Young children should be kept home from child care. Drink plenty of fluids and rest. How the human swine flu virus is spread : The ways in which human swine flu can spread include: • A person infected with human swine flu is contagious as long as they are showing symptoms and for up to three days from the start of antiviral treatment. Young children may be infectious for longer. • A person caring for someone sick with human swine flu can become infected from inhaling infected sneeze or cough droplets. This is known as direct contact. • The human swine flu virus can live for about two hours outside of the body. Infection can occur when a person touches a contaminated object (such as a dirty tissue) and then touches his or her own nose, eyes or mouth. This is known as indirect contact. • In some cases, human swine flu is asymptomatic, which means the infected person feels fine and has no symptoms. However, they can still infect other people. Pig farmers can be infected directly from infected pigs – for example, by handling sick pigs and not washing their hands.
Posted on: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 08:28:40 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015