Swine Flu – The New Illness

History

The swine influenza, also known as the swine flu or porcine influenza,
is an acute contagious disease of the respiratory tracts of the domestic pig, which is cause by the porcine influenza virus, part of the influenza A virus. Reassortments of the RNA genome of the human and animal influenza virus can derive to a new anti-genetic mutant, which is also know as antigen shift, which can lead, for the human as well as for the animal, to new pathogenic characteristics. These newly originated subtypes (reassortants) are not the classical agents of the swine influenza.
Most common agents of the swine influenza are the A type viruses of the subtype H1N1, rarely H1N2 and H3N2. Very rarely the human influenza C viruses are educed in pigs. The pig influenza viruses have been also determined as SIV (swine influenza virus). In 2006 the H3N1 subtype has been isolated in a pig in Italy.
From 2004 till 2006 an epidemiological research has been done in China and the H3N1 subtype has been found in pigs, which so far only has been detected in horses. Not only the influenza viruses, but as well human, avian and porcine virus subtypes have been educed, which could have cause serious virus infections without any sign of symptoms.

Swine flu imported from the USA

The first porcine influenza virus (A/swine/Iowa/15/30/H1N1) has been educed in 1930. In Europe the virus disappeared completely in the end of the 1950ies until 1976 when it was imported through pigs from the United States of America, ever since the virus has been endemic in Europe. The porcine H1N1 subtype has shown a high genetic and anti-genetic steadiness in the last 60 years. In 1979 an avian H1N1 subtype has occurred for the first time in pigs, which was very similar to another subtype in ducks. Scientists can prove a circulation between porcine and avian strains ever since.
In the end of the 1990ies scientists educed H1N2 reassortants in pigs in the USA. It was a mixture between porcine H1N1 and human/avian H3N2 reassortants.

Swine flu in Mexico

In late April 2009 the swine flu was detected in Mexico City, which caused drastic damage to the tourism industry. The tourism is, next to the oil export, the most important financial support for the country. It was a matter of hours, and the expected tourists for following months cancelled their trips for the rest of the year 2009.
School and churches were closed, public gathering were banned for weeks. Hotels, restaurants, bars had to close until the next upcoming high season which is suppose to start in late November. Cancun and Mexico City were mostly affected. In order to bring back tourism to Mexico City, for example, its mayor guaranteed every single tourist free travel insurance. The Mexican population blames the American media for “spreading a rumour” and that virus originally started in California. All that happened just in order to keep the American from vacationing in Mexico and spending their much need Dollars abroad instead of their own country. Others suspect a pharmaceutical lobby, trying to make billions of dollars with new antitoxin.
Fact is that, compared to the 50ies or 70ies, the WHO is able to inform and protect its people even if it costs. The fear of another pandemic, like with SARS is bigger than ever.
In Asia, Thailand shows the highest number of infected people, due to the tourist fluctuation. 
Meanwhile the media reports first side effects of the new antitoxin. Kids, who used it the medication, claimed that they are having nightmare and feeling uneasy.

Protection and prevention

The protection and the prevention in order to not catch the flu are quite easy. First of all the virus can not be transmitted through the pig. For example, if a human is about to eat a infected pork, the virus would die as soon as it will be cooked. So it’s important to well cook the pork meat. If you respect some guidelines like washing your hands on a regular basis throughout the day, don’t share glasses or dishes with somebody you suspect to be ill, cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue and dispose it right away – then the risk to catch that highly fear virus should be low.