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The Swine Flu and You
The swine flu, more properly called the H1N1, is a new strain of the common influenza virus. The first detected case was in the United States in April 2009. The virus spreads much the same way as they seasonal flu does.

So, how did the swine flu get its name? The virus was originally referred to as “swine flu” because testing showed that many of the genes found in the virus were very similar in structure to a flu that is commonly found in swine. However, the swine flu title was quickly changed because further investigation showed that the genes in the virus normally circulate among swine in Europe. The laboratory testing also showed evidence in the avian flu and well as the seasonal flu. Thus scientists are now referring to it as the H1N1 flu as “quadruple resentment’ virus.

Strains of the Swine Flu were first confirmed in Southern regions of California as well as throughout the state of Texas. And the outbreak quickly spread to where it is now reaching cities on the Easter Coast. And while there is no known cure or vaccination for the Swine Flu, state and local health organizations are working to investigate this situation.

Be aware, that the swine flu is highly contagious, and can be spread from person to person through normal daily interaction.

The signs of having swine flu are very similar to that of a person experiencing the seasonal flu. Symptoms include, fever cough, runny nose, sore throat, body aches, headaches, chills and fatigue. And like the seasonal flu, some cases of the swine flu have resulted in severe illness and death.

One trait that sets the swine flu apart from the seasonal flu is that people over the age of 64 are not more susceptible to contracting this disease. The CDC is administering studies to try and find out if certain people might have natural immunity to this virus. As the reports role in, it seems as though there is no existing antibody in children and people under the age of 60, thus they are still susceptible to obtaining the swine flu.

It is also unclear at this time if there is actual an antibody that will prevent against the swine flu.

The swine flu is still fairly new, so the CDC is still conducting research to find the severity of the swine flu. At this time, there is not enough information to determine how severe the outbreak of the swine flu will be and how it will measure up to the seasonal flu.

Like the seasonal flu, the duration of the symptoms will vary. The seasonal flu can cause anywhere from sever to mild reactions, and that goes for the swine flu as well. Both can result in death. One huge difference is that there are ways to prevent getting the seasonal flu, where as there is no known preventative for the swine flu.

People aged five to twenty four are most susceptible to contracting the swine flu. As of now, there are no reported deaths in people over the age of sixty four which is oddly unlike patients who contract the seasonal flu.

The incubation period for people diagnosed with swine flu ranges from one day before they notice the symptoms up until seven days after they report their symptoms. The time in which children are contagious is much longer. There immune system is not as resistant to unknown viruses, thus parents should be especially cautious when putting their children in contact with others.

As the CDC continues to learn new things about the Swine Flu, they urged anyone who may think they are affected with the Swine Flu to seek medical attention immediately.