The Swine Flu

Is There A Swine Flu Epidemic?

8/14/09 - Here you will find the best information on health statistics and the symptoms of swine flu currently reported by health officials. Learn the CDC flu recommendations and what you can do to prevent this virus from harming your family.

This article discusses a variety of issues surrounding the pig flu epidemic in various parts of the world. We have included information on swine flu symptoms, how many people have died from the virus, a possible vaccine, and discussion on whether American people should be worried about it.

Credit: Dan Queiroz

Swine influenza is an influenza A described as H1N1 by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). It is resistant to two of the most common antiviral medications, Symmetrel and Flamadine. Fortunately, it can be treated with other antiviral medications.

Typical symptoms of this flu are common to most flues. People ill with confirmed swine flu most often report a cough, sore throat, fever, diarrhea, chills, tiredness and vomiting. Health officials say that infected people are contagious for up to seven days after seeing signs of the illness, sometimes longer in children.

The CDC has recommended that ill people voluntarily quarantine themselves at home until the sickness has passed. They have also made statements advising people to wash their hands often, cover coughing to minimize spread of the virus, and refrain from coming in close contact with those who are ill.

Doctors say the best way to prevent this virus is by becoming vaccinated against it. Unfortunately, there is no swine flu vaccine available as of June 2009. Currently there are several laboratories working to develop one, and should be available around the end of the year.

The Swine Flu Epidemic: Should We Be Worried?

The answer is most likely not. Although there has been a lot of political commotion surrounding the virus, statistics are showing that for American and European people, it has little effect.

Baby Lukas

Every year tens of thousands of Americans die from the common flu virus that most of us have had at some point throughout our lives. To date, there has only been one death by swine flu in the United States.

The two year old who died from it was a Mexican citizen living in the heart of the pandemic - Mexico City. He was flown to a hospital in Houston, Texas where he later died from confirmed pig flu virus. As of May 1, 2009 there were 2,500 cases of swine influenza in Mexico City, where only 159 of those people died. The United States has seen less than 100 cases total with a single death.

This strain of virus is apparently new to North America, causing a big stir among the government and citizens. A similar strain was seen in 1976 at Fort Dix, where one soldier died from it. Ironically, government doctors ran tests on many of the soldiers stationed there, concluding that over 500 soldiers had caught the virus but didn't become sick from it.

While it may seem that the Obama Administration and members of the government are using the outbreaks to spark fear in the people, the statistics support many people's idea that it is simply a ridiculous, much-ado-about-nothing ploy and our people shouldn't be worried by it.

While the threat is small but still does exist, its effects are quite minimal in comparison to other strains and diseases. Most health officials and citizens in general have concurred that it would be wise to postpone your trip to Cancun and maintain a standard level of hygiene. :)

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