Saturday, July 3, 2010

Breif overview of Swine Flu

Flu

New Influenza A (H1N1)

The viruses were 100 nanometers in diameter.

The flu, an official New Influenza A (H1N1), is a flu pandemic from a new strain of H1N1 - swine flu, which originated in Mexico in March 2009 . There are also some other names used, including (new) influenza A (H1N1) and (especially in the first days after the outbreak) swine flu.

The virus manifested itself first in Mexico and expanded in April to the United States and soon to other countries.

According to figures from the American Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are on August 28, 2009 209 438 infections and at least 2185 deaths from the virus found.

When deaths are often a combination with one or more other diseases which the patient already greatly reduced health. Only flu death is rare.

In many cases, the infection goes quite mild and many patients report not therefore. A total of 17,483 worldwide confirmed deaths. In the Netherlands it is 60. In the 'normal' Dutch seasonal flu is that between 250 and 2000.
The 'normal' flu is 4 to 35 times as dangerous as flu. The WHO was worried because in previous pandemics have shown that the aggressiveness of influenza viruses can change. This is not done with the flu.

Virus Characteristics

Genetic composition of the influenza virus
  • HA: Hemagglutinin type 1 (H1)
  • NA: Neuraminidase type 1 (N1)
  • PA: Birds , North America.
  • PB1: Human, present in an H3N2 virus from 1993.
  • PB2: Birds, North America.
  • NP: Pig, North America.
  • M: pork , Eurasia.
  • NS: Pig, North America.

Genetics and symptoms

This new strain is a reassortment of several strains of H1N1 - Influenza virus, including human influenza , avian flu and swine flu .

Worldwide death each year between 250,000 and 500,000 people from flu.

The victims are usually elders, very young children, and people with poor health. This is no different with this flu. The virus is often no more dangerous than seasonal flu, this virus would be deeper into the airways so the risk of pneumonia increases and possible changes, therefore, the virus can be dangerous.

Among the patients there are many young adults. It is suspected that these people are more sensitive to this disease. Regularly, the media referred to the Spanish flu, a pandemic that took place in 1918 and 1919, involving tens of millions of people died, many of whom were young.

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