by Dewan Golam Shafi Choudhury

Created on: January 27, 2010

The purpose of writing this article is to teach you how Swine Flu came to life and the symptoms of Swine Flu. I have also written a section at the end where you can learn how to save yourself.

What is Swine Flu?

Swine flu is a new 2009 virus known as H1N1 which has been a big hit around the world. Cases were first discovered in Mexico and the US and some of these cases had caused hundreds of deaths already. Swine flu has now also been discovered in the UK and other countries in the northern hemisphere.

Outbreaks like this can cause thousands of deaths around the world. They usually occur in countries where the population is high. Of course, the number of illnesses is shockingly significant.

Starting off in Mexico

Mexico was the first place the virus was actually detected. The Mexican authorities had thought it was just normal season flu but near a month later, the swine flu was reported in the media after two cases were discovered. It was then confirmed that it was a new strain of H1N1 by the World Health Organisation.

In little time, the flu had spread far beyond Mexico and the US. Cases of swine flu have been discovered in other countries such as the UK, India, Indonesia, Australia and many more. Many People have been asked not to travel to these infected areas.

How will I know if I have it? Can you tell me the symptoms?

The symptoms that one might face when having the swine flu are listed below. These can be quite similar to usual illnesses you might be getting. They are:

Fever Cough Sore throat Runny nose Headache Muscle soreness

These are the main symptoms you could be having. However, there have been reports that some patients have had vomiting and diarrhoea problems. It could take near a week to start seeing these symptoms.

How can I prevent myself from getting this illness?

To prevent yourself and your family from this virus, you should wash your hands continuously with soap and water. When coughing or sneezing, you should catch it in a tissue and dispose of it and immediately wash your hands after. We all know that bacteria are everywhere, so you should disinfect a lot of the household furniture that you suspect may carry bacteria. Remember to insist your family members to do all these actions as well. This will surely keep them protected as well.

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