Understanding Swine Flu Outbreak: Questions and Answers - Bloomberg.com

Interesting article about swine flu on Bloomberg

"Swine flu, a virus that normally infects pigs, has been detected in people in Mexico, the U.S., New Zealand, Canada, and the U.K. Health officials around the world are checking to see whether infections have occurred in their countries, and readying measures to prevent its spread."The article answers some frequently asked questions about swine flu using information drawn from the data released by the World Health Organization in Geneva and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Here is a revised list of the most important points

What is Swine Flu?
Swine flu, or swine influenza, is a form of influenza that normally infects pigs.

How do people catch swine flu?
Flu is generally transmitted through the respiratory tract. Droplets of infected body fluids can carry flu when people cough or sneeze. Studies indicate that masks called N95 respirators that, when properly used, filter germs from the breath and hamper the spread of flu

What are the symptoms of swine flu?
Influenza normally causes symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, headaches and body aches, fever, chills, and sometimes vomiting and diarrhea. Swine flu causes the same symptoms, and may be difficult to distinguish from other strains of flu and respiratory illnesses

What’s a flu pandemic?
Flu pandemics occur when new influenza viruses emerge that spread quickly and few people have immunity to them.


How else can I protect myself from swine flu?
Personal hygiene measures, such as avoiding people who are coughing or sneezing and frequent hand-washing, may prevent flu infection.