Swine flu is a disease that causes symptoms similar to the common flu, also known as the H1N1 virus. This disease was first seen in pigs and then spread to humans. When swine flu first appeared in humans in 2009, it became the headline of the news and simultaneously became an epidemic all over the world. We have examined this disease, which is still a scary condition, in this section for you.
What is Swine Flu?
Technically speaking, this disease refers to swine flu infection. Although it does not occur very often, pigs transmit this epidemic cold to humans, especially farmers and veterinarians. And so it becomes a contagious disease from person to person.
How did it come about?
This disease, which is caused by the mutation of the H1N1 subtype of the influenza virus, was first seen in the respiratory tract infection in humans in 2009. After the first swine flu case was registered, influenza virus-related diseases spread rapidly to many parts of the world. Accordingly, the World Health Organization declared swine flu as a universal epidemic.
This common disease has been confirmed by records since 2009. Recently, it is still seen in humans as the seasonal flu virus, and the flu vaccine was released in 2015-16 as protection against this virus. In addition, another mutation of the virus, H3N2, was seen in humans in 2011.
Causes
It is caused by the influenza virus seen in pigs. Unlike typhus, which is transmitted by lice or ticks, the transmission of this disease is not from animal to person, but from person to person. Swine flu is also transmitted when products containing pork are eaten.
This disease is a virus that is very easily transmitted. Human-to-human transmission ways;
- Sneeze
- Cough
- It is touching an infected surface and touching the nose or eyes.
Risk factors
In the first years of this disease, it was most common in young people. This was anomalous because, in general, flu viruses most often affect the elderly or the very young. The factor that may increase the risk of transmitting swine flu the most is being in the same environment as people with swine flu.
However, the risk of having this disease is very high in some people, we can list the factors affecting it as follows;
- People over 65 and under 5
- People under 19 years of age using aspirin for a long time
- People at risk with diseases such as AIDS
- Pregnant women
- People with diseases such as asthma, heart disease, diabetes
