It has similar genetic features to the H1N1 subtype of influenza virus that causes influenza in pigs. Other main subtypes known to occur and cause influenza in pigs include H1N2 and H3N2. There have been infections in humans with these two variant subtypes as well. Since , the H1N1 virus has becom e one of the common viruses that circulate each flu season. Many people now have some immunity to the virus. As a result, experts are now less concerned about this type of swine flu than they were in However, any time a virus affects humans from a different source, it is a concern.
Scientists cannot always tell how a new virus will affect people, or how it will change over time. In severe cases, there may be respiratory failure and death, but this is rare. However, young children, older people, pregnant women, and those with a compromised immune system may have a higher risk. Scientists developed a vaccine to protect humans from H1N1 after the outbreak. Since then, protection against H1N1 has become part of the regular seasonal flu shot.
Every year, experts try to predict which flu virus strains are likely to circulate during the flu season, which usually peaks in winter. They prepare vaccines according to the types that are most likely to occur.
If experts predict that a certain strain of H1N1 could cause a pandemic, health authorities will recommend including a change to this component in the annual flu shot. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC recommend an annual flu shot for everyone aged 6 months or older , barring certain rare exceptions. A doctor can advise on individual needs. In some cases, however, a doctor may prescribe an antiviral medication.
These drugs can shorten the duration of symptoms and reduce their severity. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Minus Related Pages. On This Page. What is swine influenza? How many swine flu viruses are there? How does swine flu spread among pigs? What are signs of swine flu in pigs?
How common is swine flu among pigs? Is there a vaccine for swine flu? Get Email Updates. To receive email updates about this page, enter your email address: Email Address. What's this? Links with this icon indicate that you are leaving the CDC website.
It spread rapidly from country to country because it was a new type of flu virus that few young people were immune to. Overall, the outbreak was not as serious as originally predicted, largely because many older people were already immune to it. Most cases in the UK were relatively mild, although there were some serious cases. The relatively small number of cases that led to serious illness or death were mostly in children and young adults — particularly those with underlying health problems — and pregnant women.
If you've had flu in the last few years, there's a chance it was caused by this virus. The symptoms are the same as other types of common flu.
0コメント