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Medical Video: Swine (H1N1) flu: Testing Procedures and Safety Guidelines
1. Definition
What is swine flu?
Swine flu is a respiratory disease caused by a type A flu virus that usually occurs in pigs. Circulation of the flu virus in pigs is called the "swine flu virus." Like the flu virus in humans, there are several different types of swine flu viruses.
The swine flu virus does not usually infect humans. However, the spread of swine flu virus infection in humans has occurred. When this happens, these viruses are called variant viruses.
What are the signs and symptoms?
At present, there are three main types of circulating flu viruses: H1N1, H1N2, and H3N2. This virus usually does not infect humans and is genetically different from the H1N1 and H3N2 viruses that normally circulate in humans. Circulation of the flu virus in pigs is different from the flu virus in humans that causes pain. Humans may have little protection against immunity or not at all to the circulation of the swine flu virus. The human flu vaccine may also not provide protection against viruses found in pigs.
Flu viruses generally infect pigs and a group of pigs and can have a high rate of disease among pigs, but few cause death.
Signs of swine flu include:
- Cough
- Sneezing
- High fever
- Difficulty breathing
- There is fluid in the nose
- No appetite
However, pigs can also be infected with viruses from humans and birds. Cross-spread of this species allows the mixing of flu viruses that cause new and different flu viruses that may have the ability to spread rapidly in humans.
2. How to overcome them
What should I do?
If you or a family member is sick with flu symptoms and needs medical care, do the following:
- Contact your doctor and tell your symptom doctor and if you have come into contact with pigs. Your doctor will prescribe flu virus antiviral drugs and may need to take samples from your nose and throat for examination.
- Avoid or limit contact with your family members and others until you are free of fever for 24 hours without the use of fever-lowering drugs and avoid traveling.
- Get used to breathing well and clean your hands. Including covering your mouth and nose with tissue when coughing or sneezing and throwing tissue into the trash. If the tissue is not available, use your sleeve. Always wash your hands after coughing or sneezing. This is to reduce the spread of various viruses.
- Avoid or limit contact with pigs to a minimum. Stay away from pigs for 7 days after symptoms begin or until you are free of fever for 24 hours without the use of fever-lowering drugs.
- Almost all cases of flu in humans are caused by flu viruses in humans, not viruses from pigs. However, if you are infected with a flu virus that comes from animals, the health department will talk to you about your illness and make sure people who live and work with you don't get sick with the same virus.
When do I have to see a doctor?
If you and your family are sick with flu symptoms and need medical care, call your doctor and tell them your symptoms and that you come into contact with pigs. Your doctor may prescribe treatment with antiviral flu medications and may need to take samples from the nose and throat for examination.
3. Prevention
Like many people, pig farmers should get a seasonal flu vaccine. Even though seasonal human flu vaccines will not protect themselves against variant flu virus infections (because their substances are different from the A flu virus in humans), vaccines remain important to reduce the risk of seasonal A flu virus transmission from sick people to other people and pigs. Seasonal flu vaccines may also reduce the potential for mixed flu viruses from humans and pigs in humans or pigs. The double infection is considered the source of a meeting of two different types of flu viruses that cause the creation of new flu types and have different gene combinations, which can pose a significant threat to the general public and animal health.
Other actions that can be taken:
- Wash hands frequently with soap before and after contact with animals.
- Avoid close contact with animals that appear to be sick.
- Avoid contact with pigs if you experience flu-like symptoms.
- If you have to deal with pigs when they are sick, or if you have to deal with a suspected pig, you should use a protector (for example, wearing protective clothing, gloves, masks to cover your mouth and nose, and other protective equipment and make it a habit to wash hand.
