H1N1 influenza is a virus that attacks the human immune system and can cause serious secondary illnesses. In extreme cases the victim can die. This influenza gets its name from a type of flu virus that affects pigs. Of course swine flu virus resembles that of the one that infects swine. The abbreviation H1N1 is the official World Health Organization (WHO) name of the virus and is derived from the medical terms hemaglutinin type 1 and neuraminidase type 1.

Most of the cases in the United States have been in young adults. Those considered high risk include the pregnant women, children under twelve months, and young adults. Recent research show that women are four times more likely to placed under a doctor's care in the hospital due to the fact that they could have more intense complications from the new strain of the illness. Concerns are high for H1N1 and pregnancy for obvious reasons.

Seasonal influenza mainly attacks young children and the elderly. The majority of reported cases of swine flu has infected people aged from 5 to 65 and the largest percentage are aged 30-44.

H1N1 flu spreads from pigs to humans when humans are close to infected pigs. People working in barns or visiting livestock exhibits housing infected pigs are likely to get affected. Transmission from humans to humans can occur when the infected individual coughs or sneezes when others are close by. Putting one's hands to the nose or mouth after touching anything with the flu viruses on it could also spread the infection.

The flu virus for example has an incubation period of 1 to 4 days before an infected individual will show the tell tale signs of being sick. The flu virus can also live on surfaces for up to 48 hours; bacteria have a generally longer lifespan outside of a host. Once infected the average adult will be susceptible to transmit the virus on average 1 day before showing signs of being sick.

Two months after its discovery, it was officially declared a flu pandemic by the World Health Organization on the 11th of June, 2009, adding fuel to the global media frenzy that has evolved from this curious virus. A day after this declaration, known Swiss company, Novartis AG, announced that it has produced the first batch of swine flu vaccine at its Marburg, Germany plant. On September 15th of this year, the US food and Drug Administration approved the vaccine, essentially lending credence to this new product.

It would be accurate to say that the H1N1 virus' only function is to exist by forcing living hosts to replicate it and can only do that if the host has some kind of intrinsic weakness. Right now the weaknesses it is encountering in the worldwide human populations are genetic, weakened immune systems due to diseases, chronic health problems, obesity, advanced age, extreme youth, over reactive immune systems and malnutrition.

H1N1 hides in the poor circulatory systems of pigs and goes undetected masked by antiviral drugs. HIV goes undetected in humans when masked by antiviral drugs, sound familiar. A prime opportunity has availed itself to us but we don't have the guts or will power to do what the much maligned Egyptians are trying to do, that is cull all the swine, hogs, pigs and remove this threat from our food system totally.

The droplets land on hard surfaces, like a desk top or keyboard. Even after the droplet dries a flu virus could live for over an hour. You can catch the virus by touching an infected surface then touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.

Read about diet magazine . Also read about motivation for weight loss and fat burning tips .

and also read about lifestyle magazine & health portal

To add a comment please login by clicking here