AHINI

Flu Prevention
The following measures have been suggested to prevent caching the flu.
*  Getting vaccinated is the best way to prevent catching the flu.
*  Avoid direct contact with the sick that have a fever and/or cough.
*  Frequent hand washing with soap and warm water 10 to 20 seconds. Wash well between the fingers,
and finally the palm and wist.
*  Alternatively, you can use alcohol gel or liquid to disinfect your hands.
*  Pay special attention to the fingertips and thumbs, they have the most contact with the mouth, nose,
eyes and face, but are not as well washed as the rest of the hand.
*  Try not to touch the mouth, nose and eyes.
*  Avoid confined areas and spaces.
*  Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough with a tissue or, the inside crease of your elbow.
*  Use a facemask, only recommended in close proximity to the sick infected with the flu, or a public
setting if H1N1 becomes more dangerous.
*  Avoid phisical contact such as kissing or shaking hands when greeting someone.
*  Avoid close contact with the sick, such as sharing cups, plates, cutlery and other objects that may come
into contact with saliva or secretions of a sick person.
Flu Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of the flu virus.
* fever (not everyone with the flu will have a fever)   * body aches
* cough   * headache
* sore throat   * chills
* runny or stuff nose   * fatigue
* sometimes diarrhea and vomiting   

IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE THE FLU

Stay home and away from other people as much as possible; cover your nose and mouth if you must be
around other people (facemask or tissue).
Unless you are in a high-risk category (a young child, pregnant, have certain underlying health conditions
like asthma or diabetes or a weakened immune system, or are 65 years and older), take acetaminophen
(Tylenol) or ibuprofen and drink plenty of fluids.
Stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone without the use of feverreducing medicine.
Most people get better without treatment and don't need to seek medical help. However, if you are in a
high-risk category, consult with your health care provider if you get flu symptoms.
Anyone with the following emergency warning signs needs urgent medical attention
CHILDREN
Fast breathing or trouble breathing
Bluish skin color
Not drinking enough fluids
Not waking up or not interacting
Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
Fever with a rash
ADULTS
Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
Sudden dizziness
Confusion
Severe or persistent vomiting
Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough

Influenza A (H1N1) virus is a subtype of influenza A virus and was the most common cause of human
influenza (flu) in 2009. Some strains of H1N1 are endemic in humans and cause a small fraction of all
influenza-like illness and a small fraction of all seasonal influenza. H1N1 strains caused a few percent of
all human flu infections in 2004–2005.[1] Other strains of H1N1 are endemic in pigs (swine influenza) and
in birds (avian influenza).
 In June 2009, the World Health Organization declared the new strain of swine-origin H1N1 as a
pandemic. This strain is often called swine flu by the public media. This novel virus spread worldwide
and had caused about 17,000 deaths by the start of 2010.

Swine influenza

Swine influenza (also called swine flu, hog flu, or pig flu) is an infection by any one of several types of
swine influenza virus. Swine influenza virus (SIV) is any strain of the influenza family of viruses that is
endemic in pigs. As of 2009, the known SIV strains include influenza C and the subtypes of influenza A
known as H1N1, H1N2, H3N1, H3N2, and H2N3.

Swine influenza virus is common throughout pig populations worldwide. Transmission of the virus from
pigs to humans is not common and does not always lead to human influenza, often resulting only in the
production of antibodies in the blood. If transmission does cause human influenza, it is called zoonotic
swine flu. People with regular exposure to pigs are at increased risk of swine flu infection. The meat of an
infected animal poses no risk of infection when properly cooked.

Pigs experimentally infected with the strain of swine flu that is causing the current human pandemic
showed clinical signs of flu within four days, and the virus spread to other uninfected pigs housed with
the infected ones.[2]

During the mid-20th century, identification of influenza subtypes became possible, allowing accurate
diagnosis of transmission to humans. Since then, only 50 such transmissions have been confirmed. These
strains of swine flu rarely pass from human to human. Symptoms of zoonotic swine flu in humans are
similar to those of influenza and of influenza-like illness in general, namely chills, fever, sore throat,
muscle pains, severe headache, coughing, weakness and general discomfort. The recommended time of
isolation is about five days.

PATHOGENISIS

Influenza virus A/H1N1n currently causing a pandemic contains gene segments with ancestors in North
American and Eurasian swine lineages. To get insights into virus replication dynamics, clinical symptoms
and virus transmission in pigs we infected animals intranasally with influenza virus
A/Regensburg/D6/09/H1N1. The inoculated pigs started virus excretion in nasal swabs at 1 day p.i.
onwards and developed generally mild symptoms including fever, sneezing, nasal discharge, and
diarrhea. Contact pigs became infected, shed virus and developed clinical symptoms similarly to the
inoculated animals. Plasma samples of all animals remained negative for viral RNA. NP- and H1-specific
antibodies could be detected by ELISA 7 days p.i. CD4+ T-cells became activated immediately after
infection and both CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell populations expanded 3 to 7 days p.i. coinciding with clinical
signs. Contact chicken remained uninfected as judged by the absence of virus excretion, clinical signs and
seroconversion.

1-Influenza A (H1N1) virus is a subtype of influenza A virus and was the most common cause of human
influenza (flu) in 2009. Some strains of H1N1 are endemic in humans and cause a small fraction of all
influenza-like illness and a small fraction of all seasonal influenza. H1N1 strains caused a few percent of
all human flu infections in 2004–2005.[1] Other strains of H1N1 are endemic in pigs (swine influenza) and
in birds (avian influenza).

In June 2009, the World Health Organization declared the new strain of swine-origin H1N1 as a
pandemic. This strain is often called swine flu by the public media. This novel virus spread worldwide
and had caused about 17,000 deaths by the start of 2010.