Swine Flu: Key Facts
Any ordinary sickness can cause your blood glucose to increase. In addition, illness can interfere with your appetite, which further affects your blood glucose. For illnesses such as the flu, prevention may be the best medicine in the form of vaccination. But it can be difficult to plan for cases of rare strains of influenza, such as the swine flu. However, you can still fight back with good habits that work in sickness and in health. Learn more here about this particular form of flu and find out what you can do to stay safe.
What is swine influenza?
Swine influenza (swine flu) is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza virus that regularly causes outbreaks of influenza in pigs. Swine flu viruses cause high levels of illness and low death rates in pigs. Swine flu viruses may circulate among swine throughout the year, but most outbreaks occur during the late fall and winter months, similar to outbreaks in humans. The classical swine flu virus (an influenza type A H1N1 virus) was first isolated from a pig in 1930.
Can people catch swine flu from eating pork?
No. Swine influenza viruses are not transmitted by food. You can not get swine influenza from eating pork or pork products. Eating properly handled and cooked pork and pork products is safe. Cooking pork to an internal temperature of 160°F kills the swine flu virus as it does other bacteria and viruses.
How can human infections with swine influenza be diagnosed?
To diagnose swine influenza A infection, a respiratory specimen would generally need to be collected within the first 4 to 5 days of illness (when an infected person is most likely to be shedding virus). However, some persons, especially children, may shed virus for 10 days or longer. Identification as a swine flu influenza A virus requires sending the specimen to CDC for laboratory testing.
What medications are available to treat swine flu infections in humans?
There are four different antiviral drugs that are licensed for use in the U.S. for the treatment of influenza: amantadine, rimantadine, oseltamivir, and zanamivir. While most swine influenza viruses have been susceptible to all four drugs, the most recent swine influenza viruses isolated from humans are resistant to amantadine and rimantadine. At this time, the CDC recommends the use of oseltamivir or zanamivir for the treatment and/or prevention of infection with swine influenza viruses.
Is there a vaccine for the H1N1 swine flu virus?
The seasonal flu vaccine is not expected to protect against the 2009 H1N1 flu. However, the 2009 H1N1 vaccine is expected to be available in the fall.
Will two doses of vaccine be required?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of one dose of 2009 H1N1 flu vaccine for persons 10 years of age and older. Data from trials among children are not available at this time, so dosing schedules for children are not yet known. Data from trials among children will be available soon. At this time, FDA has approved two doses for children 9 years of age and younger. Immunogenicity data for the 2009 flu H1N1 vaccine among adults is similar to that for seasonal influenza vaccines. If this is also the case among children, then it is likely that younger children will require two doses and older children will require one dose, as licensed. As with seasonal vaccine, children ages 6 months through 35 months get two doses of 2009 H1N1 flu vaccine that contains one-half the dose used for older children and adults.
What will be the recommended interval between the first and second dose for children 9 years of age and under?
This will not be known until clinical trials are complete. For planning purposes, planners should assume 21-28 days between the first and second vaccination.
Can seasonal vaccine and novel H1N1 vaccine be administered at the same time?
Inactivated 2009 H1N1 vaccine can be administered at the same visit as any other vaccine, including pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine. Live 2009 H1N1 vaccine can be administered at the same visit as any other live or inactivated vaccine EXCEPT seasonal live attenuated influenza vaccine
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