Swine Flu- Risk Factors, Causes, and Symptoms

Swine flu refers to a type of influenza Type A virus that affects pigs. However, in the year 2009 - 2010, there was an outbreak of this chronic disease among humans too. The reason for this outbreak was a new flu virus, typically known as H1N1. This new H1N1 Type A influenza virus comprises a combination of swine, avian (a type of a bird), and human genes, which can spread to humans. Swine flu was generally associated with a disease in pigs, but it hit the headlines in 2019-2020 when the new type of influenza virus created a pandemic among humans. Now, H1N1 flu is a regular type of flu, and there are various flu vaccines available for the same. Caused by infected saliva or mucus, Swine flu (H1N1) is very contagious and causes severe respiratory illness.

SYMPTOMS:

There are many similarities in the signs and symptoms of the general flu and swine flu. However, the latter can be quite dangerous if not detected and treated on time. The most visible manifestations of swine flu are:

• Body aches
• Headaches
• Loss of hunger and thirst
• Nausea and fatigue
• Fever
• Cough
• Vomiting and diarrhea
• Runny/stuffy nose
• Sore throat

CAUSES

Swine flu is a TYPE-A influenza virus, which can spread among various species. It started with pigs as a medium to mix with other strains as pigs can contract all types of influenza virus, be it human, avian, or swine. The circulation of the influenza virus among the pigs is quite high during winter and fall, and they can easily transmit this virus to the people who work with them or who come in contact with them. The sole reason that the H1N1 type of 2019-2020 pandemic of swine flu spread so quickly among the humans was that humans had zero immunity towards this disease. The causes of swine flu are similar to regular flu. It can be caused by touching a place that is contaminated or because of suspended virus particles in the air or because of contact with the other person who is sick. A single cough or a sneeze can generate millions of viruses and spread it among thousands of people. The transmission of these diseases occurs mainly from person to person and not from animal to person. The most common causes are:

• Coughing
• Sneezing
• Touching virus-covered place and then touching eyes or nose
• Coming in contact with or touching an already infected area

RISK FACTORS OF SWINE FLU

There are various risk factors associated with swine flu, which are quite distinct from regular flu yet are quite similar in some aspects. Normal flu virus usually occurs in people who are older or young. However, when swine flu spread among humans, it was seen that it was contracted mostly by more aged and young adults. The most significant risk factor of swine flu is a person being in contact or in the vicinity of the people who already have swine flu or any flu.

Some of the categories of people who can get seriously ill because of already infected swine flu can be categorized as follows:

• Young children under the age of 5
• Old adults over the age of 65
• People with less immunity against diseases
• People having diseases like asthma, diabetes mellitus or heart disease
• Pregnant women

Swine flu doesn’t need proper medical treatment if you are healthy. It is treatable with common drugs; however, if there are any medical complications caused due to swine flu, you need to seek immediate medical attention. If you think that you are facing or experiencing any of the slightest symptoms, Pathkind Labs offer a thorough check-up by giving a promising and effective treatment for the same. The only thing that any infected person should do is, try to minimize the symptoms and prevent the spreading of the disease to other people. Make sure that you take your flu shots regularly to avoid any flu, especially swine flu.