What is swine flu?
Swine flu is a respiratory disease, caused by influenza type A which
infects pigs.
There are many types, and the infection is constantly changing.
Until now it has not normally infected humans, but the latest form
clearly does, and can be spread from person to person - probably
through coughing and sneezing.
What is new about this type of swine flu?
The World Health Organization has confirmed that at least some of the
human cases are a never-before-seen version of the H1N1 strain of
influenza type A.
H1N1 is the same strain which causes seasonal outbreaks of flu in
humans on a regular basis.
But this latest version of H1N1 is different: it contains genetic
material that is typically found in strains of the virus that affect
humans, birds and swine.
Flu viruses have the ability to swap genetic components with each
other, and it seems likely that the new version of H1N1 resulted from
a mixing of different versions of the virus, which may usually affect
different species, in the same animal host.
Pigs provide an excellent 'melting pot' for these viruses to mix and
match with each other.
How dangerous is it?
Symptoms of swine flu in humans appear to be similar to those produced
by standard, seasonal flu.
These include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, chills and fatigue.
Most cases so far reported around the world appear to be mild, but in
Mexico lives have been lost.
How worried should people be?
When any new strain of flu emerges that acquires the ability to pass
from person to person, it is monitored very closely in case it has the
potential to spark a global epidemic, or pandemic.
The World Health Organization has warned that taken together the
Mexican and US cases could potentially trigger a global pandemic, and
stress that the situation is serious.
However, experts say it is still too early to accurately assess the
situation fully.
Currently, they say the world is closer to a flu pandemic than at any
point since 1968 - upgrading the threat from three to four on a
six-point scale following an emergency meeting on Monday.
Nobody knows the full potential impact of a pandemic, but experts have
warned that it could cost millions of lives worldwide. The Spanish flu
pandemic, which began in 1918, and was also caused by an H1N1 strain,
killed millions of people.
The fact that all the cases in the US and elsewhere have so far
produced mild symptoms is encouraging. It suggests that the severity
of the Mexican outbreak may be due to an unusual
geographically-specific factor - possibly a second unrelated virus
circulating in the community - which would be unlikely to come into
play in the rest of the world.
Alternatively, people infected in Mexico may have sought treatment at
a much later stage than those in other countries.
It may also be the case that the form of the virus circulating in
Mexico is subtly different to that elsewhere - although that will only
be confirmed by laboratory analysis.
There is also hope that, as humans are often exposed to forms of H1N1
through seasonal flu, our immune systems may have something of a head
start in fighting infection.
However, the fact that many of the victims are young does point to
something unusual. Normal, seasonal flu tends to affect the elderly
disproportionately.
Can the virus be contained?
The virus appears already to have started to spread around the world,
and most experts believe that containment of the virus in the era of
readily available air travel will be extremely difficult.
Can it be treated?
The US authorities say that two drugs commonly used to treat flu,
Tamiflu and Relenza, seem to be effective at treating cases that have
occurred there so far. However, the drugs must be administered at an
early stage to be effective.
Use of these drugs may also make it less likely that infected people
will pass the virus on to others.
The UK Government already has a stockpile of Tamiflu, ordered as a
precaution against a pandemic.
It is unclear how effective currently available flu vaccines would be
at offering protection against the new strain, as it is genetically
distinct from other flu strains.
US scientists are already developing a bespoke new vaccine, but it may
take some time to perfect it, and manufacture enough supplies to meet
what could be huge demand.
A vaccine was used to protect humans from a version of swine flu in
the US in 1976.
However, it caused serious side effects, including an estimated 500
cases of Guillain-Barr syndrome. There were more deaths from the
vaccine than the outbreak.
What should I do to stay safe?
Anyone with flu-like symptoms who might have been in contact with the
swine virus - such as those living or travelling in the areas of
Mexico that have been affected - should seek medical advice.
But patients are being asked not to go into GP surgeries in order to
minimise the risk of spreading the disease to others. Instead, they
should stay at home and call their healthcare provider for advice.
After the WHO raised its alert level over swine flu, the Foreign and
Commonwealth Office began advising against all but essential travel to
Mexico.
What measures can I take to prevent infection?
Avoid close contact with people who appear unwell and who have fever and cough.
General infection control practices and good hygiene can help to
reduce transmission of all viruses, including the human swine
influenza. This includes covering your nose and mouth when coughing or
sneezing, using a tissue when possible and disposing of it promptly.
It is also important to wash your hands frequently with soap and water
to reduce the spread of the virus from your hands to face or to other
people and cleaning hard surfaces like door handles frequently using a
normal cleaning product.
If caring for someone with a flu-like illness, a mask can be worn to
cover the nose and mouth to reduce the risk of transmission. The UK is
looking at increasing its stockpile of masks for healthcare workers
for this reason.
But experts say there is no scientific evidence to support more
general wearing of masks to guard against infections.
Is it safe to eat pig meat?
Yes. There is no evidence that swine flu can be transmitted through
eating meat from infected animals.
However, it is essential to cook meat properly. A temperature of 70C
(158F) would be sure to kill the virus.
What about bird flu?
The strain of bird flu which has caused scores of human deaths in
South East Asia in recent years is a different strain to that
responsible for the current outbreak of swine flu.
The latest form of swine flu is a new type of the H1N1 strain, while
bird, or avian flu, is H5N1.
Experts fear H5N1 hold the potential to trigger a pandemic because of
its ability to mutate rapidly.
However, up until now it has remained very much a disease of birds.
Those humans who have been infected have, without exception, worked
closely with birds, and cases of human-to-human transmission are
extremely rare - there is no suggestion that H5N1 has gained the
ability to pass easily from person to person.
Where can I get further advice?
Further information and advice on swine flu can be found at websites
of leading health and research organisations around the world. The
World Health Organisation gives background information on the virus.
The UK's Health Protection Agency advises the public about what to do
if returning from an affected area. NHS Choices outlines how swine flu
is different from other flu. The US government's Centre for Disease
Control is counting the number of cases in the US.
You can also track the spread of swine flu reports using unofficial
sources. Healthmaps maps viruses using news reports. Social media
guide Mashable lists some ways to track the virus . Links to useful
websites are being shared on Twitter , the micro-blogging service.
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Originally Posted by Dragon 
. They can't think of not eating pork. 
. 