Dr. Vikram .R. Lotwala

Precautions for #swineflu

A quick guide to the H1N1 virus and what you should do during the current epidemic WHAT IS H1N1? Swine flu is a respiratory disease caused by a new strain of the influenza virus type A. The strain is known as H1N1 and is the same as the one found in seasonal flu outbreaks, except that it contains genetic material found in birds, humans and pigs. It is now a wholly human virus How does it spread? Flu viruses are spread through droplets that fall from your nose and mouth when you cough and sneeze. These particles can be inhaled or transferred to others via hard surfaces, such as door handles, phones, keyboards and remote controls How concerned should I be? In most cases, symptoms of the virus are relatively mild. The majority who have caught it have made a full recovery within a week, many without medical treatment and some without knowing they were infected Laboratory-confirmed cases of swine flu reported to the World Health Organisation (WHO) show a mortality rate of 0.4%, in line with...

Today, WHO has signaled warning to all nations worldwide for the Swine flu outbreak. It has potential to become an pandemic. The origins of this new strain remain unknown. One theory is that Asian and European strains traveled to Mexico in migratory birds or in people, then combined with North American strains in Mexican pig factory farms before jumping over to farm workers. Originating in Mexico this time, swine flu has caused more than 100 deaths there and moved to the US, where more than a dozen children in New York are found to have caught it after a visit to Mexico. There are reports also coming in from Spain and even as far off as New Zealand now. Unconfirmed or suspected cases The US declared a public health emergency on Sunday as a precautionary measure. A top official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, said she feared there would be deaths in the US as the new strain of flu spreads. Mexican health officials have said that the original disea...