9 February 2013

Swine Flu

Dear Parents,

Swine flu is an alarming infection which affects upper respiratory tract..  This infection is already in the air. As we all know change in weather makes people more prone to infections & flues. I want to request you all to be little more careful as swine flu has almost same symptoms as common flu.
 
What is swine flu?

Swine flu , now known as the 2009 H1N1 flu, is caused by the orthomyxovirus which usually affects pigs but viral mutations allows the virus to cross species to other hosts like humans.

Symptoms of Swine Flu:
Swine flu infection causes symptoms that are similar to the symptoms of influenza infection as seen during the annual ‘flu’ season.

The general symptoms of swine flu include:

             Fever with or without chills.
             Sore throat.
             Respiratory symptoms, usually a cough or less frequently as dyspnoea (difficulty breathing) of      pneumonia.                                                
             Fatigue and lethargy
             general body aches                              
             Headache & Diarrhoea

Treatment of Swine Flu:

             Oseltamivir (commonly marketed under the trade name Tamiflu) is being touted as the frontrunner in combatting this outbreak. Oseltamivir is an antiviral drug that is useful both as a treatment and as a preventative measure against many influenza type viruses including swine flu, and bird flu.
             Zanamivir, another widely used antiviral has also been found to be effective in the treatment of swine flu.

Prevention of Swine Flu:

 
As with any disease, prevention is better than cure and a few conservative measures can greatly reduce your risk of swine flu infection. Proper hygiene and common sense are of the greatest benefit in dealing with any viral outbreak. A few simple tips to reduce your chances of swine flu infection include:


             Avoid close contact with any person suffering with the ‘flu’.
             Always wash your hands after touching objects, other people and at regular intervals. A good antimicrobial soap is useful.
             If you are suffering with the ‘flu’, practice good hygiene to avoid infecting your loved ones. This includes blocking your mouth and nose when sneezing, throwing away used tissues and not sharing food, drink or personal items.

Diagnosis of Swine Flu:
             The symptoms of swine flu are non-specific meaning that it could be indicative of many other conditions including the common cold or the annual flu. However in the presence of these symptoms and a strong history of exposure to infected persons or other related factors, a differential diagnosis of swine flu should be considered.
             A laboratory testing of mucus should be conducted to confirm the diagnosis. This is only relevant in the first few days of infection as swine flu is only contagious for 5days.


Santosh Sharma
Nurse