What do we need to know about the swine flu virus?
Swine Flu Virus
Swine flu is relatively new strain of influenza or flu that was responsible for a flu pandemic during 2009-2010. It is sometimes known as H1N1 influenza because it is the H1N1 strain of virus. The name "swine flu" comes from a strain virus that is found in pigs. Transmission of swine influenza viruses to the humans’ is uncommon. However, the swine influenza virus can be transmitted to humans via contact with infected pigs or environments contaminated with swine influenza viruses. Once a human becomes infected, he or she can then spread the virus to other humans through the tiny droplets dispersed in the air by coughing or sneezing.
The Swine Flu Virus
Swine influenza or swine flu is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by the type A influenza viruses that regularly causes outbreaks of influenza in pigs. Influenza viruses that commonly circulate in swine are called "swine influenza viruses" or "swine flu viruses". Like human influenza viruses, there are different subtypes and strains of swine influenza viruses. The main swine influenza circulating in US pigs in the recent years are:
Swine flu viruses do not normally infect humans. However, sporadic human infections with swine influenza viruses have occurred, when this happen, these viruses are called "variant viruses". They also can be denoted by adding the letter "v" to the end of the virus subtype designation.
Most commonly, human infections with variant viruses occur in people with exposure to infected pigs such as farmer and veterinarians. The vast majority of human infections of human infections with variant influenza viruses do not result in person-person spread. However, each case of human infection with a swine influenza virus should be fully investigated to be sure that such viruses are not spreading in an efficient and ongoing way in humans and to limit further exposure of humans to infected animals if infected animals are identified.
Swine influenza has not been shown to be transmissible to people through eating properly handled and prepared pork or other products derived from pigs. Influenza viruses can be directly transmitted from pigs to people and from people to pigs. When a human is infected with a flu virus that normally circulates in pigs, this called a variant virus because it is different from seasonal influenza viruses. This is thought to happen mainly when an infected pig coughs or sneezes and droplets with influenza virus in them spread through the air. If these droplets land i your nose or mouth, or are inhaled, you can be infected. A third way to possibly get infected is to inhale dust containing influenza virus. Scientists are not really sure which of these ways of spread is the most common. Human to human transmission of variant flu viruses also has occurred, though this method of spread has been limited. This kind of transmission is thought to occur in the same way that seasonal flu transmits in people.
