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Swine Flu
April 29, 2009 — H1N1, H1N1 A, H1N1 flu, H1N1 flu A, H1N1 influenza, H1N1 influenza A, swine, swine flu, swine influenza
I hear about swine flu daily and I am beginning to get worried.
Guess you are worried too so here are some FAQ’s.
WHAT IS SWINE INFLUENZA?
Swine Influenza (or Swine Flu) is a respiratory disease affecting pigs that is caused by type A influenza virus (Influenza type A H1N1 virus).
CAN HUMANS CATCH SWINE FLU?
Swine Flu viruses do not normally affect humans. However, sporadic human infections with Swine Flu have occurred. Mostly, these cases occur in persons with direct exposure to pigs.
HOW DOES SWINE FLU SPREAD TO HUMANS?
Swine Flu spreads to humans mainly through contact with infected pigs, which shed the virus through their saliva, nasal secretions and faeces. Human-to-human transmission of Swine Flu can also occur in the same way as seasonal flu does, which is mainly through coughing or sneezing from people infected with the virus.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF SWINE FLU IN HUMANS?
The symptoms are similar with that of the seasonal flu which include high fever, lethargy, lack of appetite and coughing. Some people with Swine Flu also have reported experiencing runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.
CAN PEOPLE CATCH SWINE FLU FROM EATING PORK?
No . Swine Flu viruses are not transmitted by food. You cannot contract Swine Flu from eating pork or pork products that have been thoroughly prepared and cooked.
HOW CAN HUMAN INFECTIONS WITH SWINE FLU BE DIAGNOSED?
To diagnose Swine Flu, a respiratory specimen would generally need to be collected within the first 4 to 5 days of illness (when an infected person is most likely to be shedding the virus). However, some persons, especially children, may shed virus for up to 10 days or longer. Diagnosis requires sending the specimen for laboratory testing.
IS THE H1N1 SWINE FLU VIRUS THE SAME AS THE HUMAN H1N1 VIRUS?
No. The H1N1 Swine Flu viruses are different from the human H1N1 viruses (seasonal flu). Hence, vaccines for the human seasonal flu would not provide sufficient protection from the H1N1 Swine Flu virus.
WHAT MEDICATIONS ARE AVAILABLE TO TREAT SWINE FLU INFECTIONS IN HUMANS?
At this time, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the use of oseltamivir (Tamiflu) or zanamivir (Relenza) for the treatment and/or prevention of infection with Swine Flu viruses.
TIPS TO PREVENT SWINE FLU :
1. Thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water, especially after sneezing or coughing.
2. Wear a mask to cover your nose and mouth if you are caring for someone with flu.
3. Avoid visiting patients in hospitals.
4. Stay at home if you are suffering from the seasonal flu. Wear a mask if you need to leave home.
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A large number of qualified experts are calling for calm, based on a number of carefully conducted studies. To no one’s surprise, they too are being ignored by the media and government planners.
H1N1 can be forcibly inoculated into pigs, but it has been shown not to spread among the pig population. This means that the danger of a swine-based epidemic is small.
There are several strains of this flu virus however, including H1N1, H1N2, H3N1, H3N2 and H2N3. What the science has shown is that when the virus passes through the pig, it becomes less virulent—that is, it is less likely to cause serious disease in people. With each passage, it becomes even weaker.
Since this is not the answer that the pseudo-scientists wanted, they next announced that it is “possible” that the pigs could be infected with both the bird flu (strain H5N1) and the swine flu (strain H1N1), resulting in a mutant, highly virulent strain that could lead to a pandemic.
Note this is pure speculation and that no scientist has ever performed this trick. It is purely hypothetical—like global warming. CDC virologists claim that in the past they performed a similar virological trick, but they never published their results and thus have kept the data close to the vest.
In science, especially medical science, speculation is taboo. But, politicized scientists perform this bit of smoke and mirrors all the time.
connectivetissue
September 29, 2009
Unfortunately, what is little understood by the general public is that the only reason people die from the flu is that they have either an immune suppressing chronic illness, such as diabetes, direct immune dysfunction, dietary deficiencies of critical immune-supporting nutrients, chronic pulmonary disease, heart disease or cancer. -Dr. Jake
