by Olivia Elsom

Created on: May 09, 2009   Last Updated: May 13, 2009

Swine Flu is actually a long established virus which regularly causes outbreaks in pigs worldwide. It doesn't usually affect humans, and when it does it's normally people who work closely with pigs. The virus affecting humans that is now being called Swine Flu is a variant of the virus which normally affects pigs. The origins of this new virus are still being investigated but, like the Swine Flu which affects pigs, it is an H1N1 subtype. The World Health Organisation have said there is no reason to stop eating pig meat, providing of course that it is properly cooked.

This new Swine Flu virus is highly contagious and, based on what is known about previous flu epidemics, it is estimated that one person will usually infect at least two other people. As with any other cold or flu virus, this virus is spread from the droplets that come out of a person's nose or mouth when they cough or sneeze, so if someone coughs or sneezes without covering their nose or mouth, it's likely that people nearby will inhale the droplets. Even if the infected person does cover their mouth or nose with their hand when they sneeze or cough, their hands are then contaminated and the virus will then be left on every surface they touch until their hands are washed. Bearing in mind that the flu virus can live on hard surfaces for up to 24 hours and soft surfaces for about 20 minutes, it's easy to see how it can spread so quickly.

Once someone has been infected with the virus the symptoms will normally start within a couple of days. The symptoms of Swine Flu are similar to any other type of flu in that people will usually experience fever, coughing and sore throat, fatigue and lack of appetite. Most people will also have aching limbs and some have reported vomiting and diarrhoea along with the other flu symptoms. Swine Flu responds well to the antiviral drugs Tamiflu and Relenza and the symptoms should start to subside after a week or so.

Any strain of Flu can be dangerous for certain individuals, particularly the very young or very old or those who have underlying health problems already as it may result in pneumonia developing in the infected person. So far the majority of fatalities attributable to Swine Flu have happened in Mexico. No-one knows yet why the virus appears to be more lethal in Mexico than it is in other countries. It may be partly due to general nutritional and living standards, or due to delays in seeking treatment, or indeed the treatment administered may not have been adequate or appropriate. It has also been suggested that there may be another virus infecting Mexicans which is combining with the Swine Flu virus to increase its severity. At the present time these things are all simply speculations.

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