A National Epidemic: The Swine Flu
Feds have declared a national heath emergency since the recent outbreak of the swine flu. Starting in Mexico and killing 103 people, it has reached 20 people currently in the U.S. So how did this epidemic start and spread? Well the answer may be found surprising, pigs.
“Swine flu is a highly contagious acute respiratory disease normally found in pigs. It spreads through tiny particles in the air or by direct contact. According to WHO it tends to infect large numbers of a given pig population, killing between 1 and 4 percent of those affected. Not every animal infected displays symptoms.”
Human contact with the pigs generated this international scare. The most dangerous part of this flu, like any other stem, is that it can be spread very quickly and very easily. Officials are warning everyone to stay calm but to also wash hands and not be around the infected. As of now there is no vaccine that can prevent the flu for humans, only pigs. However, if contracted, there are two types of medication, oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza), which has seemed to respond to the infection.
Comments
Thanks for this post! I was
Thanks for this post! I was very curious about how the serious the swine flu was. I had also read in the news that deaths were to be expected within the amount of people found infected. Another strain of the flu had been going around more commonly. This strain is less serious than swine flu but we should all still try to contain it.
wow! they do not have any
wow! they do not have any vaccine to prevent it... that is what got me thinking. What if we all get it and have to deal with it at least once then we go back to normal.