Swine flu is back in the news. It's not the pandemic flu from 2009, that was originally labelled "swine flu". These cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control, were actually caught from pigs, and consists of at least three varieties of influenza. There are hundreds of strains of influenza, but few are contaigious to humans.
Pigs get the flu. As with human cases, some infections are serious while others are virtually symptom free. There are vaccinations for some swine flu strains but, just as in humans, the influenza virus is always changing.
From 2005 through December 23, 2011, thirty-five cases of a swine flu have been reported in human patients. Twelve of those cases have been in 2011. Patients under the age of 18 account for 26 cases. Direct or indirect exposure to swine has been shown in 71 percent of the reported influenza cases. Three different strains of the virus were involved. All of the patients have recovered.
The primary way that people catch a swine flu is through contact with pigs. Human to human transmission of the illness has been documented but is less common. The symptoms of a swine flu infection are little different than that of the seasonal flu. Nausea and vomiting may be more common with a swine flu infection.
The usual antiviral drugs are effective with swine flu infections in humans. There are no approved human vaccines.
Properly prepared pork products cannot transmit the swine flu, so your Christmas ham was safe. The primary, and very limited, risk is to people with pet pigs and those who work on a swine farm. Those people have a much greater chance of catching seasonal flu than any of the strains of swine flu.
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