SWINE FLU VIRUS
Turning the TV on, Swine flu is now the breaking news (followed by Judy Ann Santos and Ryan Agoncillos’s Wedding…hehe [^^,] ) in any stations of your television, here and outside the Philippines.
The swine flu has been the headline news 3 days in a row.
It had already killed more at least 68 people in Mexico.
This is very important matter that’s why I made some research about it.
Kidding aside, all of us must have to be vigilant about this endemic issue.
What is a Swine Flu (Swine influenza) Virus?
Swine influenza (also swine flu) refers to influenza caused by any strain of the influenza virus endemic in pigs (swine). Strains endemic in swine are called swine influenza virus (SIV).
Swine flu is common in swine and rare in humans. People who work with swine, especially people with intense exposures, are at risk of catching swine influenza if the swine carry a strain able to infect humans. However, these strains rarely are able to pass from human to human. Rarely, SIV mutates into a form able to pass easily from human to human. The strain responsible for the 2009 swine flu outbreak is believed to have undergone such a mutation.
It’s Background
The swine flu is a descendant of the infamous "Spanish flu" that caused a devastating pandemic in humans in 1918-1919.[3] In less than a year, that pandemic killed more than 500,000 Americans and some 20 million people worldwide - the greatest number ever killed in so short a period by any natural or man-made catastrophe. It also killed and sickened large numbers of hogs. Within a decade, the disease stopped circulating among humans, but it has infected swine ever since. Although hogs had initially caught the virus from humans, it has undergone slight changes over the years, emerging occasionally to infect individuals who work closely with pigs. However, there have only been 12 cases in the U.S. since 2005 in which humans caught swine flu after being in contact with pigs and there is currently no requirement that pigs be vaccinated against swine flu.
Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swine_flu
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Even our company had warned and sent us an email “Important Announcement Concerning Swine Flu” about this Swine Flu Virus. Part of this email is shown below:
Employees are strongly encouraged to observe the following good practices to reduce the risk of infection and help you stay healthy:
Illnesses like the flu (influenza) and colds are caused by viruses that infect the nose, throat, and lungs. The flu and colds usually spread from person to person when an infected person coughs or sneezes and the viruses are spread to others.
Always take care to:
- Avoid close contact with people that are sick.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you sneeze or cough.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth
- Practice other good health habits
- Stay home when you are sick and check with a health care provider when needed
- Most importantly, wash your hands often with soap and warm water. It is the soap combined with the scrubbing action that helps to remove germs. When soap and water are not available, disposable hand wipes or gel sanitizers may be used.
Very caring right? and I care about you, too! [^^,]
Take Care!
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