Swine Flu is caused by one of the hundreds of influenza viruses that exist in nature. At this time there is no cure for any form of influenza. It can be treated in a number of ways that may shorten the length of the illness or reduce its severity.

The primary medical treatment is the use of anti-viral medications. The drugs oseltamivir or zanamivir are normally prescribed in the United States. These drugs are better known under the trade names Tamiflu and Relenza.

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• Why Worry About the Swine Flu?

  Whatever the name, swine flu, H1N1 or novel H1N1, the illness that has been spreading globally is cause for concern and preparation. Novel H1N1, the name used by the United States Centers for Disease Control, has appeared in forty nations to date and new cases by the hundreds are being discovered daily.

• A look at swine flu in humans
  

  Humans and pigs share enough biological attributes that some diseases can move back and forth between the two different species. The swine flu, swine A)H1N1 is one such illness.

  Influenza doesn’t bother pigs much. In humans, it can range from a mild though lengthy illness to one that can produce large numbers of fatalities. The current swine flu is a bit mysterious because it seems to do a little of both.

• Swine influenza (flu) virus: Causes, symptoms and treatment
  

  The two primary sources of information about the swine flu for you ought to be the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization. There are a great many people working around the clock on the swine flu epidemic at both places. but I suspect that the website updaters are daytime employees. The frequency of updates at both sites is limited.

• Why people die from the flu
  

  Flu is a killer. In past epidemics in the United States, as many as 5% of those with the disease have died. Public Health officials estimate that about 36,000 people die each year in the U.S. from the flu and related illnesses.

  In temperate climates like the United States, influenza is seasonal. Beginning in November and running until March of the following year, influenza cases multiply.

• The difference between a cold and the flu
  

  “I don’t feel good!” Whether you are an adult or a child, there are times when you just want to scream that. When you have a cold or the flu, it is one of those times.

  Colds and influenza are caused by different viruses. They share many of the same symptoms and they both make you feel lousy. They are different illnesses and that difference is important.

• How to treat the flu
  

  Exhausted, achy all over, coughing and, yes, you have a fever. You have the flu.

  The flu may resemble a cold but it is going to last longer and feel much worse than any cold. There is no cure for the flu. There are a few things you can do to make your illness a little more bearable and even a bit shorter.

• Can animals catch the flu?
  

  Animals can catch the flu. Influenza can be found in birds, pigs, and many other animals. More of the influenza virus variants infect animals than they do people.

  When it comes to flu, birds catch it much more than any other animal. The “bird flu”, designated A)H5N1, is the influenza strain that has captured the media’s attention for the last several years. While about 300 cases in humans have been seen, there have been thousands of cases in birds

• Information sources about emergency preparedness available at the Center for Disease Control
  

  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are the primary Federal public health agencies and are responsible for a large number of topics in that field, including emergency preparedness. The information provided on their site addresses primarily medical and public health preparedness for individuals, businesses, health care providers, the media and others concerned.

• Is the US prepared to handle infectious disease epidemics?
  

  On March 10, 2008, the Rochester New York area experienced a foreshadowing of what medical care might be like during a pandemic. It wasn’t pretty.

  Rochester and Monroe County are in the grips of influenza. The local hospitals are overflowing with folks complaining of cough, fatigue, aches and pains and for many elderly, confusion and disorientation.

  As the demand builds at each hospital’s emergency department, they go from “green” to “yellow” to “red”.