Online Health Consultant Get vaccinated against Swine flu
According to the WHO records, a 5 year old boy in Mexico City named Edgar Hernandez, came down with a mysterious flu and then infected a town of 800. From there, nearby pigs carried it across the border, as did infected people.
The CDC says the influenza virus which is commonly known as the flu, kills around 500,000 people worldwide each year.
A total of 59% of the in-patient deaths from the virus were people with no underlying health
conditions, according to the UK-wide study. Research taken from the first wave of the swine flu pandemic also showed 55% of patients hospitalized by swine flu were not previously living with health problems, such as asthma or breathing difficulties.
Over the last 4 years, Canada has had a grand total of 16 “flu-associated” fatalities for their
pediatric age category — which includes everybody under the age of 18. That’s 16 total deaths among a pediatric population of 7.86 million, the majority of whom — 60 percent or more — remained unvaccinated.
By comparison, during the same 4 years time span, the identical United State pediatric group had 553 flu-associated deaths. Compared on a per capita basis, the United State exhibits a stunning 3.2 times death rate over Canada.
The H1N1 swine flu virus has been spreading quietly in pigs in Hong Kong and swapping genes with other viruses, and researchers said the findings support calls for tighter disease surveillance in pigs before new bugs can emerge and infect people.
About Swine Flu:
There are two types of Swine Flu, A and C.
So, what is Swine Flu A?
Swine Flu A is a mix of all three flu viruses that have shifted (mixed). Bird, pig, and human flu virus mutated and produced a new version, usually one that is stronger and more lethal.
Swine Flu C is a mix of only human and pig flu that shifted and produced a new strain.
Treatment is available for Swine Flu:
The best treatment for influenza infections in humans is prevention by vaccination.
2009 flu pandemic vaccine Vaccines are available for different kinds of swine flu. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the new swine flu vaccine for use in the United States on September 15, 2009.
Studies by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), show that a single dose creates enough
antibodies to protect against the virus within about 10 days.
As the swine influenza A (H1N1) virus is a new virus, no swine flu vaccine was immediately
available to prevent infections.
Types of vaccine
Two types of influenza vaccines are available:
* TIV (flu shot (injection) of trivalent (three strains; usually A/H1N1, A/H3N2, and B) inactivated (killed) vaccine) or
* LAIV (nasal spray (mist) of live attenuated influenza vaccine.)
TIV works by putting into the bloodstream those parts of three strains of flu virus that the body uses to create antibodies; while LAIV works by inoculating the body with those same three strains, but in a modified form that cannot cause illness.
LAIV is not recommended for individuals under age 2 or over age 50, but might be comparatively more effective among children over age 2.
Latest News From The Journals Of The American Society For Microbiology
Hong Kong researchers suggest a new theory for why swine flu infections turned out to be so mild. Prior exposure to seasonal influenza A, either infection or vaccination, may induce a cross-reactive immune response against the pandemic virus. They report their findings in the July 2010 .