Seasonal flu pandemic and swine flu

Seasonal flu pandemic and swine flu

The severity of the disease is related to the severity of the flu in that season.

What is the flu?

Flu is a contagious respiratory infection. It is usually caused by the virus called influenza and affects the nose, throat and lungs. It manifests with symptoms ranging from mild to severe, although rare, it can be fatal.

Symptoms of influenza infection are fever, cough, nasal congestion and runny nose, muscle aches, the feeling of malaise, headache, extreme tiredness and exhaustion, sometimes accompanied by chills. In addition to these, vomiting and diarrhea can be seen together.

Swine flu

Swine Flu is a respiratory infection caused by the influenza virus in pigs. Barking cough, decreased appetite, runny nose, restlessness, symptoms and can be transmitted to people. It can be very contagious by producing mutations, changes in genes, after infecting humans. The first human outbreak of swine flu occurred in Mexico in 2009. The symptoms of swine flu are similar to those of other influenza flu. When the influenza virus, which causes swine flu, was first identified, it was named according to the surface antigens of the virus-cell. It is named after H1 (hemaglutinin1) and N1 (neurominidase1). Influenza A H3N2v, which has recently made an epidemic, has been infecting humans since 2011. The last v letter addition is a variant abbreviation,

How is the flu transmitted?

Influenza germs are transmitted when particles scattered into the air during coughing, sneezing and talking touch the mouth and nose of another person. The germ that has contaminated the surface of the objects from the breathing of sick people can also be transmitted by healthy people who touch these surfaces, rub their hands on their mouth, face and nose.

Duration of the flu

In adults, the germ can develop symptoms within a day, but the incubation period can be extended up to five to seven days. In young children and those with a compromised immune system, the duration of contagion, ie the time for symptoms to appear, maybe longer.

Who are at risk?

The severity of the disease is related to the severity of the flu in that season. Generally, the elderly, young children, pregnant women, and especially those with chronic diseases such as asthma, diabetes, and heart disease are at higher risk, and influenza may be more likely to cause complications in these people.

What are the flu complications?

In addition to its own symptoms, the flu can continue with other severe complications. These complications;

• Bacterial pneumonia
• Ear infections
• Sinus infections,
• Loss of water in the body,
• Existing conditions such as asthma, diabetes, worsening of chronic diseases such as the heart.

How is the diagnosis made?

The diagnosis of swine flu is often suspected by the patient's history of contact with someone with the flu, high fever, and fatigue. The diagnosis is confirmed by the determination of Influenza A and B in the swab taken from the throat. If the test result is Influenza B, it is not swine flu, but it may still be a severe flu. If the test result indicates Influenza A, the person may have swine flu or classic flu. If the clinical findings support influenza A detected individual, swine flu is considered.

How can the flu be prevented?

Annual flu vaccines are one of the best methods to prevent influenza epidemics. Influenza vaccine is especially recommended for people over 65 years of age, children between 6 months and 5 years of age, those with chronic diseases, respiratory problems and asthma who are at particular risk every year.

However, the vaccine may not be administered to those who are allergic to the vaccine, those with egg allergy and sensitivity. Studies on the development of the vaccine in the form of a nasal spray are ongoing.

Swine flu treatment

Generally, the disease can be limited very quickly by using Amantadine or Oseltamivir group drugs against the flu virus in the first two days when the symptoms of the disease appear. However, it is also important to eliminate the need for fluid, which are other symptoms of the disease, to reduce fever, to prevent the development of another complication, and to control the chronic disease, if any.

If there is a person diagnosed with influenza at home, at work or at school, it is absolutely necessary to wash the hands frequently, to clean the flat surfaces (tables, tables, etc.) frequently, to communicate from a distance, to avoid contact such as hugs, to kisses, the sick person to get permission immediately. and not returning to work or school until the symptoms of the disease have completely disappeared is extremely important to limit contagiousness.