The Swine flu originated in pigs. Prior to 2009, the virus only affected those who worked in close contact with pigs. However, this changed in 2009. At that time the swine flu virus mutated into a new strain that is easily transmitted from person to person.

You can only catch a specific strain of influenza once. After you have had the disease, your body creates antibodies against it and makes you immune to the disease. When a virus mutates into a new strain like the swine flu, a worldwide flu pandemic is possible because people have not built up any immunity to this new mutated strain.

The swine flu symptoms are the same as any other type of flu. Fever, cough, body aches and soreness, sore throat, headaches, fatigue, runny nose and chills are the most common symptoms. Nausea and diarrhea have also been some symptoms in certain victims. An unusually large percentage of otherwise healthy young people were killed by the disease in Mexico. This makes the swine flu a very serious matter, it is not something you should ignore.

This strain of influenza is transmitted from person to person much like any other flu. The virus is disbursed through the air by the coughing, sneezing, and breathing of infected individuals. You can also get it by handling objects that were touched by infected flu carriers.

When you go out in public, one of the most effective ways to protect yourself against swine flu is to wear a flu mask. Most flu masks worn by people are worthless. These cheap masks are much to porous to filter out minute viruses. Effective flu masks is rated N 95 or better. If you use public transportation, flu masks can be an important piece of safety equipment to protect you if you are concerned about the safety of your family.

If you are concerned about the swine flu and the safety of your family, download my guide on How To Reduce Your Risk Of Swine Flu Infection By 98%. Download the complete system atPreventing Swine Flu!

Swine Flu Symptoms

There are regular outbreaks of swine influenza in pigs worldwide. It does not normally infect humans, although this occasionally does occur - usually in people who have had close contact with pigs.

Why is swine flu affecting humans?

Because the swine flu virus has mutated (changed) and is now able to infect humans and transmit between them.

Which people are most vulnerable from swine flu?

Those who are more at risk from becoming seriously ill with swine flu are:

• people with chronic lung disease, including people who have had drug treatment for their asthma within the past three years,
• people with chronic heart disease,
• people with chronic kidney disease,
• people with chronic liver disease,
• people with chronic neurological disease (neurological disorders include motor neurone disease, Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis),
• people with suppressed immune systems (whether caused by disease or treatment),
• people with diabetes,
• pregnant women,
• people aged 65 years and older, and
• young children under five years old. 

What are swine flu symptoms?

Symptoms of swine flu are like regular flu symptoms and include fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, body aches, headache, chills, and fatigue. Many people with swine flu have had diarrhea and vomiting. Nearly everyone with flu has at least two of these symptoms. But these symptoms can also be caused by many other conditions. That means that you and your doctor can’t know, just based on your symptoms, if you’ve got swine flu. Health care professionals may offer a rapid flu test, although a negative result doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t have the flu.

Like seasonal flu, pandemic swine flu can cause neurologic symptoms in children. These events are rare, but, as cases associated with seasonal flu have shown, they can be very severe and often fatal. Symptoms include seizures or changes in mental status (confusion or sudden cognitive or behavioral changes). It’s not clear why these symptoms occur, although they may be caused by Reye’s syndrome. Reye’s syndrome usually occurs in children with a viral illness who have taken aspirin — something that should always be avoided.

Only lab tests can definitively show whether you’ve got swine flu. State health departments can do these tests. But given the large volume of samples coming in to state labs, these tests are being reserved for patients with severe flu symptoms. Currently, doctors are reserving antiviral drugs for people with or at risk of severe influenza.