On April 25, the CDC issued a health advisory regarding confirmed cases of the swine flu in the United States. A health advisory by the CDC provides important information for a specific incident or situation but may not require immediate action. Swine flu is a respiratory illness caused by a type A influenza virus. Swine flu regularly causes respiratory illness in pigs but does not normally infect humans. However, human cases of swine flu do occur and human-to-human spread of the virus has been documented. A number of confirmed cases of a new strain of swine influenza known as H1N1 have been reported in the United States since March of 2009. The CDC has confirmed that the virus is contagious and is spreading from human to human however it is not known how easily it is spread.

The symptoms of swine flu are similar to those of regular influenza including fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills, and fatigue. Some people report diarrhea and vomiting with the swine flu. Past outbreaks of swine flu have been associated with serious illness and deaths due to pneumonia and respiratory failure. Flu viruses are spread mainly by coughing or sneezing. Flu can be spread by touching something with viruses on it then touching the nose or mouth. Swine flu is not spread by eating or preparing pork. Infected people are contagious beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 7 days after becoming ill, meaning that people can spread the infection before they know they are sick as well as while they are sick. The concern for widespread infection is that humans have little or no resistance to swine flu viruses because outbreaks are so infrequent.

To avoid getting the flu, wash your hands often, get plenty of sleep, drink plenty of fluids, eat nutritious food, manage stress and stay physically active. The medications Tamiflu and Relenza appear to be effective for the treatment and prevention of this swine flu virus. Antiviral medications work best if started within two days of symptoms. They work by preventing flu viruses from replicating within the human body. There is no vaccine to prevent swine flu. Use common disease prevention practices to prevent the spread of flu, including using a tissue to cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing and throwing away the tissue; washing hands often, especially after coughing or sneezing; avoiding touching mouth, nose and eyes; avoiding close contact with sick people and staying home from work or school if you are sick.

Contact your health care provider if you develop flu-like symptoms. In children, emergency warning signs include difficulty breathing or rapid breathing, bluish skin color, not wanting to drink fluids, not waking up or not interacting with others, extreme irritability and not wanting to be held, fever with a rash, or flu symptoms that improve but return with fever and a worse cough. In adults they include difficulty breathing, pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen, sudden dizziness, confusion, or severe, persistent vomiting. These symptoms indicate that urgent medical attention is needed.

Reference: http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/.

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