What is swine flu?
Swine Influenza (swine flu) is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza viruses that causes regular outbreaks in pigs. People do not normally get swine flu, but human infections can and do happen. Swine flu viruses have been reported to spread from person-to-person, but in the past, this transmission was limited and not sustained beyond three people.
Are there human infections with swine flu in the U.S.?
In late March and early April 2009, cases of human infection with swine influenza A (H1N1) viruses were first reported in Southern California and near San Antonio, Texas. Other U.S. states have reported cases of swine flu infection in humans and cases have been reported internationally as well. An updated case count of confirmed swine flu infections in the United States is kept at HERE CDC and local and state health agencies are working together to investigate this situation.
Is this swine flu virus contagious?
CDC has determined that this swine influenza A (H1N1) virus is contagious and is spreading from human to human. However, at this time, it is not known how easily the virus spreads between people.
What are the signs and symptoms of swine flu in people?
The symptoms of swine flu in people are similar to the symptoms of regular human flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with swine flu. In the past, severe illness (pneumonia and respiratory failure) and deaths have been reported with swine flu infection in people. Like seasonal flu, swine flu may cause a worsening of underlying chronic medical conditions.
What should I do if I get sick?
If you live in areas where swine influenza cases have been identified and become ill with influenza-like symptoms, including fever, body aches, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, or vomiting or diarrhea, you may want to contact their health care provider, particularly if you are worried about your symptoms. Your health care provider will determine whether influenza testing or treatment is needed.
If you are sick, you should stay home and avoid contact with other people as much as possible to keep from spreading your illness to others.
If you become ill and experience any of the following warning signs, seek emergency medical care.
In children emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:
Fast breathing or trouble breathing
Bluish skin color
Not drinking enough fluids
Not waking up or not interacting
Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
Fever with a rash
In adults, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:
The first U.S. death from swine flu has been confirmed -- a 23-month-old child in Texas -- amid increasing global anxiety over a health menace that authorities around the world are struggling to contain.
The flu death was confirmed Wednesday.
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Germany, which confirmed three cases Wednesday, is the latest country affected.
The world has no vaccine to prevent infection but U.S. health officials aim to have a key ingredient for one ready in early May, the big step that vaccine manufacturers are awaiting. But even if the World Health Organization ordered up emergency vaccine supplies -- and that decision hasn't been made yet -- it would take at least two more months to produce the initial shots needed for human safety testing.
Meanwhile, health authorities are preparing for the worst. "I fully expect we will see deaths from this infection," said Dr. Richard Besser, acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
MADISON, Wis. -- The Wisconsin Department of Health Services is reporting that 20 more cases of suspected swine flu have been referred to a state lab for testing, but there are still no confirmed cases.
Swine flu cases in the United States rose above 60 on Tuesday as governments around the world intensified steps to battle the outbreak that has killed scores of people in Mexico.
Federal officials suggested the flu might be spreading so fast, there might be no practical way to contain it, and no need to tighten borders further.
The state had already tested 10 suspected cases with no positives, but has received 20 more over the last 36 hours.
MILWAUKEE -- Health officials said two probable swine flu cases have been found in Milwaukee, and four of the city's public schools have been ordered closed.
There's been no immediate confirmation from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta of swine flu in Wisconsin.
City Health Commissioner Bevan Baker said at a news conference late Wednesday that in addition to the two probable cases, a number of children linked with those cases have shown symptoms consistent with swine flu.
He said that was the reason the decision was made to close the four schools for the immediate future.
Governor Declares Public Health Emergency Officials Announce 5 Probable Flu Cases In State
-- Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle declared a public health emergency Thursday after two more probable cases of swine flu were identified in Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services said Thursday afternoon that probable cases have been found in "young adults" in Sheboygan and Ozaukee counties. That brings the total statewide to five. Two probable cases in Milwaukee County and one in Adams County were announced Wednesday.
As of Thursday, the World Health Organization is calling the flu strain H1N1, which is also known as swine flu.
The surfacing of probable cases Wednesday led to the decision to close a handful of Milwaukee area schools as concerns grow about the spread of the flu.
The state has asked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to confirm the cases.
In all, Wisconsin has submitted 228 suspected cases for testing. Forty-one are pending, and 182 have been found negative. No cases have been confirmed in Wisconsin.
Among other things, a public health emergency directs the state Department of Health Services to take all necessary measures to prevent and respond to flu incidences and distribute state and federal antiviral stockpiles.
I'm not sure what the latest count if for cases in the US, but 126 was the last number I saw.
When the swine flu first came up, I started to think back to the '70s when I was in grade school and there was a swine flu scare. I remember some kids lining up for shots at school. I was glad that my parents didn't make me get one. Needles are no fun. I don't remember anyone getting sick. It seemed to be a lot of unnecessary "panic." I don't really remember any big panic, not like it is now. You know how fast news spreads these days. For years we'd joke about the swine flu of the '70s and how it turned out to be nothing much. I didn't think I'd ever see it again.
I'm not worried much myself as I've only gotten the flu once since high school and we won't say how long ago that was LOL.
I'm not sure what the latest count if for cases in the US, but 126 was the last number I saw.
When the swine flu first came up, I started to think back to the '70s when I was in grade school and there was a swine flu scare. I remember some kids lining up for shots at school. I was glad that my parents didn't make me get one. Needles are no fun. I don't remember anyone getting sick. It seemed to be a lot of unnecessary "panic." I don't really remember any big panic, not like it is now. You know how fast news spreads these days. For years we'd joke about the swine flu of the '70s and how it turned out to be nothing much. I didn't think I'd ever see it again.
I'm not worried much myself as I've only gotten the flu once since high school and we won't say how long ago that was LOL.
I'm not all that worried myself... i post updates for informational reasons & because i know most are keeping an eye on it, as i am.
Personally, until it hits close to home i tend to not stress over stuff like this.
I had never heard of Swine Flu before this & hope it becomes a thing of the past soon.
You probably were a baby in diapers or not much older when the '70s swine flu was around. I'm guessing it was in the mid '70s since I don't remember the exact grade I was in at the time.
You probably were a baby in diapers or not much older when the '70s swine flu was around. I'm guessing it was in the mid '70s since I don't remember the exact grade I was in at the time.
I was born in 72, living in Rockford IL during most of the 70's.
This SITE shows hourly updates on confirmed cases & how many from each state... Right now we are at 19 states - 3 confirmed in Illinois... seems we are currently at 141 confirmed, 1 death total.
It was early 1976 when the swine flu panic took place. There was one death, but only 2 people caught the bug outside of Fort Dix, NJ where it originally started.
Back in 1918 there was a huge pandemic flu that killed 500,000 Americans and killed 20 million worldwide.
It was early 1976 when the swine flu panic took place. There was one death, but only 2 people caught the bug outside of Fort Dix, NJ where it originally started.
Back in 1918 there was a huge pandemic flu that killed 500,000 Americans and killed 20 million worldwide.
In the end, the only known death from the 1976 swine flu pandemic was the original army recruit. Outside of Fort Dix, only two other people caught the bug. They both recovered.
That's encouraging... Let's just pray we see no more deaths.
Two Local Schools Close As Officials Monitor Flu Outbreak Officials: 105 Confirmed, Probable Cases In State
MADISON, Wis. -- As the number of probable cases suspected of being connected with the current flu outbreak creep higher, some local health and school officials are taking precautions to limit the spread of the illness.
Two Madison area schools joined the ranks of a few dozen schools around Wisconsin that closed their doors on Monday amid continuing concerns about the so-called swine flu, or H1N1 virus, that is spreading throughout the country.
State officials said on Monday that the number of confirmed and probable cases of swine flu in Wisconsin has grown to 105, up from 66 a day earlier.
New Mother Who Died Of Swine Flu Grieved Texas Woman Had Just Given Birth To Healthy Baby
HARLINGEN, Texas -- This week should have been a joyous time for Judy Trunnell, a 33-year-old schoolteacher who had just given birth to a healthy baby girl.
But the friends and relatives whose cars lined the quiet street in front of her home in a quiet subdivision Tuesday instead were mourning her, the first U.S. resident with swine flu to die.
At least the companies that make masks, rubber gloves and cleaning supplies are having an increase in business.
On the bright side, this gives the media something else to talk about instead of the doom and gloom of the economy.
According to the sponsor ad on this page the coffee companies have a shocking secret they don't want us to know. Hmmmm, how did that ad get picked up on a swine flu thread? I must go google the shocking secret.
They are now suggesting that schools do not close if a student becomes ill with a possible case of this flu. In fact they do not plan to close even if it becomes confirmed.
I really think this may be a mistake. They don't want to continue to seem as if they are 'over killing' this, but in the long run, who's to say it didn't help with keeping the numbers down when they closed the schools when confronted with a possible case?
Right now we have only 3 cases confirmed but in the next day or so that number will possibly go up close to or over 100 with the final tests back on the suspected cases. I wonder how high these numbers could have been if the schools did not close when confronted by an ill student?
Staying open now will only mean this flu will have a chance to go through even more students/adults.
They are now suggesting that schools do not close if a student becomes ill with a possible case of this flu. In fact they do not plan to close even if it becomes confirmed.
I really think this may be a mistake. They don't want to continue to seem as if they are 'over killing' this, but in the long run, who's to say it didn't help with keeping the numbers down when they closed the schools when confronted with a possible case?
Right now we have only 3 cases confirmed but in the next day or so that number will possibly go up close to or over 100 with the final tests back on the suspected cases. I wonder how high these numbers could have been if the schools did not close when confronted by an ill student?
Staying open now will only mean this flu will have a chance to go through even more students/adults.
I'm on the side of, rather be safe than sorry.
Same here... we are a month or less away from the end of the school year & since WI is under a health emergency, these kids wont have to make up their time at all, it wont effect anyone who isn't in high school really (because they need credits to graduate), so be safe & not take chances IMO
The actual number confirmed in WI went to 5 yesterday.. the list i posted doesn't reflect that... We have one possible in Madison now as well.
US mother is second swine flu death outside Mexico
Published Date: 06 May 2009
THE second swine flu death victim outside Mexico was a 33-year-old teacher who had recently given birth, health officials in the US announced today.
The death came as the World Health Organisation updated its worldwide total of confirmed human cases of swine flu to 1,516.
Doctors in Texas stopped short of saying that swine flu caused the woman's death. A state health department spokeswoman said the woman had "chronic underlying health conditions" but would not give any more details.
She said the flu exacerbated the woman's condition. "The swine flu is very benign by itself, by the time she came to see us it was already too late," she said.
The only other swine flu death in the US was of a Mexico City boy who also had underlying health problems and had been visiting relatives in Texas.
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