Swine flu news
This page aims to provide you with the very latest swine flu news from around the world.
There are many different types of swine flu and like human flu, the infection is constantly changing. Swine flu has in the past not normally infected humans, although sporadic cases do occur usually in people who have had close contact with pigs. There have also been occasional documented cases of humans passing the infection to other humans.
Person to person transmission of swine flu is not good news and it is thought to spread in the same way as seasonal flu – through coughing and sneezing. Swine flu news reports about the outbreak in Mexico seems to suggest a new type of swine flu that contains DNA that is typically found in avian and human viruses.
The World Health Organization has confirmed that at least some of the cases are caused by a new strain of H1N1.
It is genetically different from the fully human H1N1 seasonal influenza
virus that has been circulating globally for the past few years. This one
contains DNA that is typical to avian, swine and human viruses, including
elements from European and Asian swine viruses
The geographical spread of the outbreaks of swine flu is worrying news –
while 13 of the 20 original deaths were in Mexico City, the rest were spread
across Mexico – four in central San Luis Potosi, two up near the US
border in Baja California, and one in southern Oaxaca state.
.
