.: Swine Flu :.

It was once said that a black man would be president "when pigs fly". Indeed, 100 days into Obama's presidency.... SWINE FLU!

Ok, jokes aside, on a more serious note - what is this swine flu all about?
Stay tune to find out! :)

What is swine flu (H1N1)?

Like people, pigs can get influenza (flu), but swine flu viruses aren't the same as human flu viruses. Swine flu doesn't often infect people, and the rare human cases that have occurred in the past have mainly affected people who had direct contact with pigs. But the current swine flu outbreak is different. It's caused by a new swine flu virus that has changed in ways that allow it to spread from person to person -- and it's happening among people who haven't had any contact with pigs. What happen is the pig's respiratory cells can be affected by many type of flue (bird, human, mammals) and functions as a mixing pot. This is when the virus evolves and become this H1N1 we have today. And bear in mind, this virus is continueosly mutating, hence, vaccine that is effective last year may not be effective this year.

The Symptoms.

The symptoms are exactly the same as your regular flu symptoms, which includes (but not limited to) runny nose, body aches, chills, coughs, fever, vommiting, diarrea. So this could only mean that you or your doctor couldn't tell the difference. The only way is to have your blood tested by the lab.



The Cure

Well, if you are infected with swine flu - here's the good news. You can be cured by antiviral drugs such as Relenza (zanamivir) & Tamiflu (oseltamivir), provided that flu like symptoms are only present for less than 48 hours. In fact, according to scientist, some people that contracted this virus are able to recover without any treatment at all.

The Prevention

Well, as the saying goes, prevention is better than cure. The simplest steps such as maintaining good hygene such as washing your hands more frequently, avoid touching your mouth, eyes or nose, etc are recommended by CDC. And of course, refrain visiting countries such as Mexico.


Want to know more? Here are some links for you to note.

http://www.webmd.com/
http://www.medicinet.com/


Which brings me to the final, most important question -
Can I still eat pork?
Well, good news is yes, you can. Swine flu virus is not transmitted by food, tho you must make sure that the pork is thoroughly cooked and all the germs are killed (recommended internal temp of 160 degrees).

Thinking of having your bakuteh now?

Don't forget to invite me along!~