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Swine influenzaFrom Wiki Drugs(Redirected from Swine flu)
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Swine influenza — is a conventional name for human and animal disease caused by virus stains of flu featuring its epidemic spread among pig population. The name was widely promulgated in mass media in early 2009. Stains associated with episodes of so-called ‘swine influenza’ have been found among the flu viruses of C serotype and the subtypes of influenza A known as А/H1N1, А/H1N2, А/H3N1, А/H3N2, and А/H2N3. Those strains are known under the general name of ‘swine influenza’ viruses. Swine influenza is common throughout domestic pig population in the USA. Mexico, Canada, South America, Europe, Kenya, continental China, Taiwan, Japan and other countries of Asia. At the same time the virus may circulate among human, avian and other species; the process is accompanied with its mutations. Swine influenza’s transmission from swine to humans is not common. The meat of an infected animal poses no risk of infection when proper cooked. Being transferred from the animal to human, the virus does not necessarily induce illness and is often revealed by the presence of antibodies in human blood. The cases caused by transmission of the virus from animal to human are called zoonotic swine influenza. People working in close contact with animals are exposed to infection. Nevertheless, from the mid-twenties of XX century (when it became possible to identify subtypes of flu) only about 50 such cases have been confirmed. Some of stains inducing human disease have acquired the ability to be transmitted from human to human. Swine influenza in humans has symptoms similar to flu and acute respiratory disease. Swine influenza virus can be transmitted through both direct contact with infected organisms and droplets in the air (see Mechanism of infectious agent transmission) The new strain of flu outbreak in 2009 that got famous as ‘swine flu’ was caused by the virus of subtype H1N1 having the great genetic resemblance to the pig flu virus. The exact origin of that strain remains elusive. Nevertheless, the World Organization for Animal Health informs that epidemic spread of that virus of the same strain has not been defined among pigs. That strain viruses are transmitted from human to human and cause diseases with symptoms usual for flu. Pigs can be infected with human flu virus, which might have happened right during pandemic of Spain flu and outbreak of 2009.
Swine Influenza SymptomsIn humans the symptoms are similar to those of influenza – headache, fever, coughing, vomiting, diarrhea, and rhinitis. PreventionThe WHO’s written rules of behavior advises avoiding close contact with people ‘who look sick, have high temperature and cough’. It is recommended to carefully and quite often wash hands. ‘Keep to the healthy way of life, including good sleep, sound food, physical activity‘. The appropriate heat treatment of the food kills the virus. The University of Southampton found the bactericide role of copper and copper alloys’ surfaces regarding A/H1N1 virus. So, while within 24 hours the stainless steel maintained about 500 000 units of viruses, the copper surface had 75% of inactivated viruses in just an hour, 6 hours afterwards only 500 units (0.075% of the initial number) remained active. In Germany and Great Britain, the production of domestic and water supply plumbing fixtures of bactericidal copper alloys has been started. TreatmentHumans may have both inoculated (through vaccinations) and inherent immunity. The majority of known anti-virus medications are not efficient for the disease induced by the mutated ‘Mexican’ strain of A/H1N1. At present no valuable drug against that strain of A/H1N1 exists. The available medicines can only mitigate the disease development especially at early stages (in cases when the patient applies for medical help within 48 hours after appearance of the first symptoms). One shouldn’t use the drugs containing aspirin due to the risk of fatty degeneration of the viscera. As of 27 August 2009, there were recorded about 255716 cases of infecting with A/H1N1 flu and 2627 deaths in over 140 regions of the world. On the whole, illness follows the classical scenario, the rates of complications and deaths (mostly due to pneumonia) do not exceed the average indices for seasonal flu. At the moment there are disputes regarding the name of the virus strain. On April 27 2009, the ‘swine influenza’ was called ‘California 04/2009), on April 30 the pork producers protested against the name and demanded to rename ‘Swine influenza’ into ‘Mexican flu’. No distinct non-scientific name has been attained so far. In April 2009, the fifth level of threat was announced. In accordance with WHO classification that level features virus transmission from human to human at least in two countries of the same region. On June 11, 2009, WHO declared the pandemic of swine influenza, the first one in the recent 40 years. According to WHO Report as of 28 August 2009, - Situation analysis shows that the H1N1 pandemic virus has rapidly spread throughout the globe and at the moment is dominating in the structure of flu incidences. - The virus will unavoidably persist in the coming months until covering all susceptible populations. - Genetic analysis of the viruses from all outbreaks remains virtually identical in various outbreak sites, having no signs of acquiring more virulent or lethal form; - The symptoms of the disease are largely consistent in the whole world and in majority it is similar to light form of flu. The number of complications and fatal illnesses remains small in susceptible persons. - As this virus is much different in its antigen properties from seasonal epidemics of influenza of the last decades, the most affected groups are generally young (the most severe cases have occurred among people under 50, while 90% of fatal cases occur in people older than 65); - Still effective against pandemic stain of H1N1 are areoseltamivir and zanmivir that the majority of stains variants are susceptible to. WHO does not recommend any anti-virus drugs for prevention and treatment of that flu; - Due to the fact that the influenza pandemic might evolve in the coming months until the pandemic moves through susceptible populations of the whole world, the number of patients needing drugs is going to grow just as the total number of complications (pneumonia is of great hazard); - Complicated forms of illness are met, as a rule, in persons with susceptibilities like pregnant women, respiratory disease patients (notably bronchial asthma), diabetes and patients with cardiovascular diseases. External Links
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