COMBATING SWINE FLU

Most people who get H1N1 flu will likely recover without needing
medical care.

Doctors, however, can prescribe antiviral drugs to treat people who become very sick with the flu or of whom are at high risk for flu complications.

If you need treatment for H1N1 flu, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) recommends that your doctor give you zanamivir (Relenza) or osteltamivir (Tamiflu).

These lifesaving drugs work best if you receive them within 2 days of becoming ill. You may also get them later if you are very sick or if you have a high risk for complications.

To prevent infection with H1N1 flu, people living in the same house as someone diagnosed with the virus should ask their
doctor if they also need a prescription for these types of medicines.

Careful respiratory hygiene and frequent hand-washing are also recommended steps by the CDC for reducing the risk of getting
H1N1 flu. Aspirin or products that contain aspirin should not be given to anyone 18 years old or younger.

The CDC recently released a new Situation update regarding Swine Flu:

It states that influenza activity continued to increase in the United States. Flu activity is now widespread in 46 states.

Nationwide, visits to doctors for influenza-like-illness are increasing steeply and are now higher than what is seen
at the peak of many pass regular flu seasons. In addition, flu-related hospitalizations and deaths continue to go up nation-wide and are above what is expected to occur for this time of year.

Swine flu news updates:

Swine flu is more widespread now and has resulted in more
than 1,000 U.S. deaths so far.

“Millions of Americans have had some degree or form of swine flu so far, according to an estimate gave at a CDC press conference. The government doesn’t test everyone to confirm swine flu so it doesn’t have an exact count of those affected said CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden.

Frieden updated some other estimates, too, saying there have been more than 20,000 Swine flu hospitalizations.

The only states without widespread flu are Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey and South Carolina. There are at least two different types of flu causing illnesses; tests from about 5,000 patients suggest that nearly all the reported flu cases were swine flu related.

This year’s normal seasonal flu vaccine won’t protect against swine flu; a separate swine flu vaccine is needed.

Swine Flu Overview:

Swine influenza is flu virus usually found in pigs. The virus occasionally changes (mutates) and becomes infectious
in humans. When this happens, the disease becomes a concern to humans, who have little or no immunity against it. This means
the virus has the potential to spread quickly. It also makes it more difficult to treat than the usual, seasonal human flu viruses.

Swine Flu Symptoms

Symptoms of H1N1 flu infection in humans are similar to classic flu-like symptoms, which might include:

- Fever above 100.4 °F

- Cough

- Sore throat

- Headache

- Chills

- Muscle aches

- Diarrhea

- Vomiting

Swine Flu Causes

In the spring of 2009, several cases of human infection with H1N1 flu were confirmed in Mexico, in several states in the United States, and in other countries.

It was revealed that the H1N1 flu virus was contagious and could spread easily from human to human.

It is known that flu viruses can spread from pigs to people, and from people to pigs. However, you CANNOT get
H1N1 flu virus from eating well cooked pork.

Human-to-human infection with the H1N1 flu virus likely occurs the same way as seasonal flu, when an infected person
coughs or sneezes into air that others breathe in. People may also get infected by touching something with the virus on it, such
as a door knob or counter top, and then touching their mouth or nose.

You can find an updated case count of confirmed H1N1 flu infections in the U.S. at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) web site.

Swine Flu Tests & diagnosis

If you think you have been exposed to H1N1 influenza, call your health care provider before your visit. This will give the staff
a chance to take proper precautions to protect them and other patients during your office visit.

If the H1N1 flu becomes widespread, there will be little need to continue testing people, so your health care provider
may decide not to test for the flu virus. Your doctor may perform the following physical exam:

- Auscultation (to detect abnormal breath sounds)

- A Chest x-ray

Your doctor can also test for the H1N1 flu virus using a nasopharyngeal swab (a swab of the back of the inside of your nose),
or grow it in a culture. However, this may only likely happen if:

-You are at high risk for flu complications.

- You are very sick.

Swine Flu Prevention

People who work with pigs who might be infected or be subsceptible, should use protective
clothing and special breathing masks.

Other steps you can take:

Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.

Throw the tissue away in safe disposable bag, after using it.

Wash your hands often with soap and water, and immediately after you cough or
sneeze.

You may also use alcohol-based hand cleaners.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth, to avoid getting infected
by germs.

Avoid close contact with sick people.

If you do get sick, consider staying home from work or school.

Swine Flu Complications

Severe illness may occur along with:

- Pneumonia

- Respiratory failure

Swine Flu Death

Like any regular seasonal flu, H1N1 flu may make other chronic medical problems worse.

A vaccination used to treat swine flu in 1976 was associated with some cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome, a disorder that
leads to nerve inflammation that causes muscle weakness.

When to contact a doctor

If you are ill and have any of the following warning signs, seek emergency medical care.

In children, emergency signs include:

- Fast breathing or trouble breathing

- Bluish or gray skin color

- Not drinking enough fluids

- Severe or persistent vomiting

- 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 a worse cough

In adults, emergency signs include:

- 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 a worse cough