Swine Flu Symptoms: June 2009

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Tuesday, June 23, 2009

The Ultimate Protection Against Swine Flu - Vaccines

The growing swine flu epidemic is gradually becoming serious. The disease is spreading freely across the world and has now achieved pandemic status, the first for influenza for 41 years.

As the possibility of a real swine flu vaccines dawns, we need to be aware of what it really is. And we need to know if there is any serious danger from the vaccine itself.

Now more than ever we need a vaccine for swine flu. But the development of a vaccine is a long arduous process that involves a number of complex intricate steps. But what are the steps needed to make a vaccine for swine flu? The US, Australian and British developmental swine flu vaccines all use different bits of several flu viruses. These are then used to construct a vaccine which specifically stimulates the immune system against swine flu.

The reasons why several pieces of various viruses are used is because only such a mixture can be grown in sufficient quantities in hens eggs to enable industrial production.

The amount of viral particles obtained from incubated eggs is crucial. If pharmaceutical companies like Glaxo-Smithkline who manufacture the vaccines find that they get less than expected from each egg, this could drastically effect the amount available to the public. So far no one is sure how much swine flu vaccine can be grown in each egg.

After the viruses are extracted from the eggs they are broken up into pieces. Splitting them ensures that the protein coat of the viruses is on display so that it can induce an immune response in humans. Antibodies are normally formed in the blood as a direct response to foreign protein particles. These protein particles will be similar to those present on a real live swine flu virus. Therefore a vaccine prepares the immune system for a possible invasion. Enabling the immune system to prepare is what makes a vaccine so powerful.

But manufacturers will be stretched to meet levels of demand that will very likely reach global proportions. Glaxo Smithkline have already admitted they will need to cut some corners to satisfy demands. They will be adding chemical agents called adjuvants to their vaccines to make them stretch a bit further. Adjuvants work by stimulating the immune system enabling them to make antibodies in the presence of reduced amounts of vaccine. It is risky because adjuvants may not be enough to prevent the need for a second dose of vaccine which may be needed to provide full immunity.

With resistance to Tamiflu and Relenza growing, vaccines are our only real hope against a global pandemic. Hopefully the pandemic will pass with just a few problems, but it may return later in the year in a more virulent form. Our only hope under such circumstances is the timely intervention of a good vaccine.

Reas Johnson is a microbiology student, who loves writing about popular health related issues. Social medical issues are often best looked at when you are properly informed. It's easy to misinform and scare those that are not been given the facts.

To learn more about swine flu go to:http://www.swine-flu-facts.info/
The original article is posted at: http://www.all-swine-flu-facts.blogspot.com/

Monday, June 15, 2009

Swine Flu Outbreak - Information For Parents and Child Care Providers

With today's highly interconnected, globalized societies, it is inevitable that the spread of virus can lead to more severe results from country to country. In fact as of May 12, 5,000 cases of swine flu infection have been reported in 30 countries according to the World Health Organization. As healthy people are becoming highly susceptible to this pandemic virus, more so to young children who are more predominantly vulnerable to illnesses. With the growing number of infected people and death case because of the A (H1N1) virus, it is important that we protect children in child care centers, schools, and at home.

Symptoms of the flu include high fever, fatigue, coughing, sore throat, and runny nose. Some people can also experience stomach symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite.

Swine flu virus can be passed from person to person through coughing and sneezing of people with the virus. Also, people may get infected through touching surfaces contaminated with virus. Infected people can directly pass on virus to others one day before the symptoms appear and up to five days after getting sick. For children, the flu can be contagious for up to 10 days after the infection. In short, infected people with swine flu are contagious before and while they know they are sick.

There are two kinds of vaccine against influenza. The "flu shot," an inactivated vaccine, is given with a needle usually in the arm. It contains killed virus that can be injected to people six months or older, including healthy people and those with chronic illnesses such as asthma, diabetes, and heart disease. The "nasal-spray" flu vaccine on the other hand, contains live viruses and is given through nasal sprayer. I was approved in 2003 with other term as LAIV for Live Attenuated Influenza vaccine or FluMist®. It can be used by healthy people aged 2-49 who are not pregnant.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises people to get flu vaccinations as soon as vaccine becomes available in their community. More importantly, vaccination before December is highly recommended since this is the time when flu is commonly prevalent. However, flu season can begin as early as October and as late as May, so having vaccine right away can really provide protective benefit.

Children six months up to 9 years old should be vaccinated against influenza. Having received their first dose of vaccine, they still have to get second and third dose in the next two seasons. Once they get vaccinated, antibodies develop in their bodies in two weeks. For children younger than 9 years old who only get one flu vaccine, they still have to be vaccinated four or more weeks later. However, children who only had one dose could have no protection at all against the flu virus. They should be vaccinated at least two doses to maximize their protection from flu infection.

Aside from children, CDC also recommends that parents, child care providers, and other people who have direct contact with children get adequate flu vaccine to avoid flu infections affecting children.

Learn How To Start A Daycare Center, visit OwnADaycare.com.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

What Makes Swine Flu So Dangerous?

What makes swine flu so dangerous is that like all influenza viruses it undergoes the process of antigenic drift. This is when spot mutations occur on the genetic material that causes slight changes in the physical make-up of the virus.

These slight changes are what frustrate scientist's attempts to create the ultimate vaccination for influenza. Due to constant changes to the protein particles of the outer coats of viruses (which the immune system is targeted for during vaccination) new vaccines are always needed to combat ever new versions of the viruses.

Swine flu is an example of such a change. But what are these changes and what parts of the virus causes the damage that destroys normal healthy cells?

The H1N1 designation of the swine flu virus gives us a clue to the inner workings of the virus. It represents the major functional proteins on its surface.

The 'H' stands for hemagglutinin which is a protein that binds the swine flu virus to the cell and injects its content into it.

The 'N' stands for neuraminidase which possesses a number of specialized enzymes that causes the infected cells to release the newly formed viruses.

All these aspects of swine flu make it potentially very dangerous. Even though the form that is currently spreading is relatively mild it could still change into a virulent strain in the next few months before winter arrives. The fact that it's also a new disease means that there is no current vaccine for the virus. So if it becomes more deadly, we will have no protection against it except for those provided by generic anti-viral drugs like Tamiflu and Relenza.

We know the devastation that influenza viruses can cause, the Spanish flu pandemic infected more than one third of the world's population and killed more than 50 million people.

We have no choice but to be vigilant in relation to the spread of swine flu. It is dangerous because it is so changeable and because of this we have to treat it extremely seriously.

To learn more about swine flu go to: http://www.swine-flu-facts.info/

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Swine Flu - Symptoms and Aid

In a world where a global economy is a given, where worldwide travel is routine, and borders are increasingly less defined, the recipe for a global pandemic is just right. All that is needed to bring humanity to its knees is the perfect disease. Historically, this "perfect disease" has been a particularly deadly version of the common flu. In 1918, a version of swine flu threatened to decimate humanity, killing somewhere between 50 and 100 million people, approximately one-third of our species. Today, fear of a similar global outbreak of swine flu is high; in order to sort everything out, here is a good introduction to the symptoms and possible aid of persons infected with swine flu.

As seen today, the dangerous variant of Influenza A Type-H1N1 swine flu is really not much different than any other flu that you may have had in the past. The big game changer is how our bodies react to the disease once it infects us: It is simply unable to deal with the symptoms. Our bodies generally have some resistance to the flu from infections that we have dealt with in the past or that our ancestors survived. This level of immunity helps our body to work against the symptoms that could kill us and helps fight off the flu. What results is a relatively mild flu that keeps us home sick for a few days. However, the H1N1 swine flu virus seen today is really a mix of swine, bird, and human influenza.

Swine flu is believed to be contracted through contact with an infected person. This type of influenza has been observed to readily spread from person to person. A person infected with H1N1 swine flu will not immediately notice any changes. Depending on the person's immune system, it could take 24 hours or more for him or her to start feeling the effects of the infection. These symptoms mirror the effects of the common flu, but are much more severe: body aches, headaches, fever, sore throats, coughing, chills, and fatigue are often present. Infected people with H1N1 flu are also highly likely to suffer from vomiting, diarrhea, and the associated dehydration. Although these effects are severe enough, the real killer comes from pulmonary edema, which is the filling of the lungs with fluid, which causes coughing. In the 1918 flu pandemic, victims literally drowned in their own body fluids. These symptoms take a toll on the body and can also aggravate existing conditions or allow new ones, such as tuberculosis or pneumonia, to take hold.

Luckily for us, it appears that swine flu may not be as deadly as originally believed. Modern medicine has played a key factor in the ability of most infected people in developed countries to make complete recoveries. Ensuring that an infected person is identified early and receives the proper care also seems to be important in ensuring survival. Anti-viral drugs such as Tamiflu and Relenza are currently highly effective at fighting off the H1N1 swine flu. It is also important to keep an infected person warm and well-hydrated, ensuring that they receive plenty of rest and are not stressed needlessly, as this helps his or her body to work against the infection and avoid complications such as dehydration. A full recovery is possible with proper treatment.

It is important for us to remember that we can take steps to prevent the spread of swine flu. Simple steps such as washing your hands and covering your mouth while coughing or sneezing do have a big effect on controlling the spread.

If you are experiencing flu-like symptoms, avoid situations in which you could infect others and consult a doctor. It is better to be safe than sorry. Looking out for the symptoms of swine flu and seeking aid when needed can help keep you healthy.

You can always get updates about this disease and read about it at GlobeMe, The first global blog.

Swine Flu Symptoms