What is Swine Flu?
Swine Influenza or swine flu is a type of respiratory disease in pigs caused by type A influenza virus that regularly causes outbreaks of influenza in pigs. The disease is normally not passed on to people but human infections can and do happen. A few cases of swine flu viruses have been reported to spread from person to person but in the past, transmission was only limited and not sustained beyond three people.
What were previous incidences of human swine flu infections?
In 1988, an outbreak of swine flu infection in pigs in Wisconsin, USA resulted in multiple human infections. Although no community outbreak resulted, the virus was transmitted to a few people including the health care workers who had close contact with the patient. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US also reports approximately one human swine flu virus infection every one to two years but from December 2005 to February 2009, 12 cases of human infection have been reported.
What are the Signs and Symptoms of swine flu in humans?
The symptoms are similar to the symptoms of regular human flu and include fever (temperature above 38 degrees Celsius or 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit), cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills, aching joints, nasal congestion and fatigue. Some people with swine flu also have reported diarrhea and vomiting. Like seasonal flu, swine flu may cause a worsening of underlying chronic medical conditions.