Influenza A (H1N1)

From WikiPilipinas: The Hip 'n Free Philippine Encyclopedia

Influenza A (H1N1) is an illness caused by a virus said to have mutated from an assortment of 4 different strains found in pigs, human and birds. It was first known as Swine Flu because laboratory tests showed that it was very similar to the influenza virus that normally affects in North American pigs. The name was officially changed to H1N1 due to widespread misconceptions that the disease could be transmitted from pigs to humans. The first detected case of the virus was reported in April 2009 in the United States. The first case in the Philippines was reported on May 18, 2009.

The virus affects the respiratory system, similar to normal influenza. In severe cases (usually accompanied by pre-existing health conditions) it can lead to fatality due to severe respiratory conditions like pneumonia.

1 Mode of transmission
2 Symptoms and diagnosis
3 Occurence
4 Treatment
5 Prevention
6 Cases in the Philippines
7 Pandemic
8 External link
9 Reference
10 Citation

[edit] Mode of transmission

Contrary to early rumors, the virus is not transmitted from animals to humans, but through person-to-person contact. The virus is present in the saliva and mucous of the person infected and may be passed on to other people through direct contact with the nasal and oral secretions of the carrier. It could also be acquired simply by touching things that have come into contact with the virus, and then touching one's mouth, nose and eyes.

[edit] Symptoms and diagnosis

Influenza A (H1N1) can be difficult to detect since it has many of the same symptoms as regular influenza, such as the following:

Fever
Headache
Fatigue
Muscle or joint pain
Lack of appetite
Runny nose
Sore throat
Cough
In some cases, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting

To know if one is affected with the virus, throat specimens like sputum are collected and tested.

[edit] Occurence

The first onset of signs and symptoms appear within 7 to 10 days from the time of exposure. An infected person may be contagious one day before they develop symptoms up to 7 days after they get sick. The virus may be acquired both by young and old people and children might be potentially contagious for a longer period of time.

[edit] Treatment

Anti-flu drugs such as oseltamivir (Tamiflu) or zanamivir (Relenza) have been successful in treating the virus, but it is advised to consult a physician before taking these drugs to avoid resistance or side effects.

[edit] Prevention

The risk of catching or transmitting the virus can be greatly reduced through simple personal hygiene: covering one's nose and mouth when sneezing, washing hands regularly with soap and water and avoid touching one's eyes, nose and mouth. It is also advisable to maintain the body's resistance by getting adequate hours of sleep, being physically active, managing stress and eating a balanced diet. Avoid close contact with people infected, and if you are infected, stay home until you have recovered and are free from symptoms.

[edit] Cases in the Philippines

The first case of the virus in the country was confirmed by the Department of Health on May 18, 2009. The first death from the virus, in the country and in Asia, was a 49-year-old Filipina and employee at the House of Representatives. She was reported to have had other health complications and died on June 22, 2009. The Department of Health has designated hospitals all over the country as referral centers for emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases like H1N1.

On July 13, 2009, the Department of Health said that two more people have died in connection with the swine influenza, but said that the two also had other medical conditions. It was reported that the two fatalities were both male -- a 19-year-old who had asthma and a 74-year-old with emphysema.

There have been 2,688 cases of swine influenza in the country but 2,543 have already recovered.

The Department of Health was commended by the World Health Organization for its effort in stopping the virus from becoming a pandemic.

[edit] Pandemic

The DOH does not consider the disease to be at the pandemic level in the country, due to the irregularity in reports of cases; although one barangay in Jaen,Nueva Ecija was reported as the country's first official community outbreak of the virus.

On July 14, 2009, a public school in the province of Laguna suspended classes until July 20 due to cases of influenza virus. There were already 187 A(H1N1) cases in the school.

There have been 2,673 cases of swine influenza in the country and 4 fatalities.