Swine Flu

We all remember how things got blown out of proportion last year and how a lot of schools closed down that really didn't need to, so it's easy to blow off the dangers associated with swine flu and ignore the recent headlines. I thought Microbiology Monday would be a good time to look into those headlines and see what's going on.

It's early in the year for a peak in flu activity but the swine flu numbers are about the same as the peak activity for regular flu. The CDC says that swine flu is widespread in 46 states and that deaths are up. Eleven children died of flu related illnesses last week. Nine of those were definitely swine flu. So, since it's still early, authorities are a little worried about what might happen later on.

Still, most people don't get that sick. Most people are sick for about a week and then get better, even without any treatment. It's not really understood why some people get really sick. The Pan-America Health Organization has found that anti-viral drugs do improve the chances of surviving a severe case of H1N1. People most likely to get a severe case of this disease are pregnant women, children under two-years-old, people with asthma or other lung diseases, and kids with neurological disorders. Secondary bacterial infections can occur that make things worse and increase the chances of death.

The best ways to protect yourself and others? It's noting we haven't already heard. Wash your hands and cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing. The Health Protection Agency in the UK recommends using a tissue to cover your mouth and then throwing it away right away. They also say that you should use a regular cleaning product to clean hard surfaces and give door handles as an example.

Links:

UK's Health Protection Agency... Advice for the public

CDC Swine Flu Update

World Health Organization

Clinical Features of H1N1

Word of the Day

Pandemic: a disease that covers a large area and a large proportion of the population.