SWINE FLU

First Swine Flu case in Pakistan

2009-11-06T20:53:00.001-08:00

The NWFP Health department Friday confirmed the first Swine Flu Influenza(H1N1)case in the province after National Institute of Health (NIH) Islamabad verified that and Afghan woman hand tested positive for the pandemic.It was learnt that the 40 yr old Lateefa was expecting a birth and was brought with severe chest infection from Herat province of Afghanistan to a private hospital ,North West General Hospital and Research Centre,Peshawar.The condition of the woman deteriorated when she was hospitalized.The doctors requested the management of Hayatabad Medical Complex(HMC),a tertiary care hospital in public sector,to examine the ailing woman,as they feared that she has symptoms of Swine Flu Influenza.This correspondent made various attempts to get the update about the patient's condition from the management of the private hospital but was told that the doctors could not comment on the case as they had no reports about the confirmation of Swine Flu(H1N1) virus in the patient.

How is swine flu (H1N1) diagnosed?

2009-11-06T20:06:00.000-08:00

Swine flu is presumptively diagnosed clinically by the patient's history of association with people known to have the disease and their symptoms listed above. Usually, a quick test (for example, nasopharyngeal swab sample) is done to see if the patient is infected with influenza A or B virus. Most of the tests can distinguish between A and B types. The test can be negative (no flu infection) or positive for type A and B. If the test is positive for type B, the flu is not likely to be swine flu (H1N1). If it is positive for type A, the person could have a conventional flu strain or swine flu (H1N1).

Swine flu (H1N1) is definitively diagnosed by identifying the particular antigens associated with the virus type. In general, this test is done in a specialized laboratory and is not done by many doctors' offices or hospital laboratories. However, doctors' offices are able to send specimens to specialized laboratories if necessary. Because of the large number of novel H1N1 swine flu cases only hospitalized patients' flu virus strains be sent to reference labs to be identified.

What you need to know about swine flu

2009-11-06T20:00:00.000-08:00

Swine flu likely spreads by direct contact with respiratory secretions of someone that is sick with swine flu, like if they were coughing and sneezing close to you.

People with swine flu are likely contagious for one day before and up to seven days after they began to get sick with swine flu symptoms.

Droplets from a cough or sneeze can also contaminate surfaces, such as a doorknob, drinking glass, or kitchen counter, although these germs likely don't survive for more than a few hours.

Anti-flu medications, including Tamiflu (oseltamivir) and Relenza (zanamivir), are available to prevent and treat swine flu in high risk children.

The latest swine flu news from the CDC includes advice that daycare centers should do daily health checks, separate ill children until they can go home, encourage kids to stay home until they are free of fever for at least 24 hours, encourage proper hand-washing, and teach kids to properly cover their coughs and sneezes to help everyone avoid the flu.

Symptoms of Swine Flu

2009-11-06T19:56:00.000-08:00

Like seasonal flu, symptoms of swine flu infections can include:

fever, which is usually high, but unlike seasonal flu, is sometimes absent
cough
runny nose or stuffy nose
sore throat
body aches
headache
chills
fatigue or tiredness, which can be extreme
diarrhea and vomiting, sometimes, but more commonly seen than with seasonal flu

Signs of a more serious swine flu infection might include pneumonia and respiratory failure.

If your child has symptoms of swine flu, you should avoid other people and call your pediatrician who might do a rapid flu test to see if he has an influenza A infection. Further testing can then be done to see if it is a swine flu infection.

SWINE FLU -- is it still an unresolved problem?

2009-11-02T01:36:00.000-08:00

Swine influenza virus is informal throughout appalling populations worldwide. Transmission of the virus from pigs to humans is not common and does not always eventuate to human influenza, much resulting only in the production of antibodies control the rubicund. If transmission does cause human influenza, it is called zoonotic swine flu. People hole up regular exposure to pigs are at increased stake of swine flu illness. The chuck of an infected hideous poses no risk of sickness when properly cooked.

Swine influenza (again called swine flu, hog flu, pig flu and sometimes, the swine) is an indisposition by any one of contrary types of swine influenza virus. Swine influenza virus (SIV) is any tax of the influenza family of viruses that is endemic monopoly pigs.[2] seeing of 2009, the confidential SIV strains include influenza C and the subtypes of influenza A confidential because H1N1, H1N2, H3N1, H3N2, and H2N3.

During the mid-20th century, identification of influenza subtypes became possible, allowing plain diagnosis of transmission to humans. Since then, only 50 consonant transmissions posit been confirmed. These strains of swine flu immoderately adventure from human to human. Symptoms of zoonotic swine flu in family are identical to those of influenza and of influenza-like disorder in general, namely chills, fever, scratch throat, sinew pains, severe headache, coughing, weakness and prevailing discomfort.