How does swine influenza virus spread?  

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The new swine flu virus is highly contagious, that is it spreads from person to person. The virus is spread through the droplets that come out of the nose or mouth when someone coughs or sneezes. If someone coughs or sneezes and they do not cover it, those droplets can spread about one metre (3ft). If you are very nearby you might breathe them in.

Or, if someone coughs or sneezes into their hand, those droplets and the virus within them are easily transferred to surfaces that the person touches, such as door handles, hand rails, telephones and keyboards. If you touch these surfaces and touch your face, the virus can enter your system, and you can become infected.
Source: National Health Service, UK website

Swine flu advice for pregnant women  

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While most pregnant women with swine flu will only have mild symptoms, there is a higher risk of complications. If you are pregnant and think you may have swine flu, or have a sick child under one year old, call your GP - do not use the new National Pandemic Flu Service.

The National Pandemic Flu Service
A National Pandemic Flu Service has been launched. This will free up GPs so they can focus their efforts on helping those in at risk groups and patients with other illnesses.
If any of the below apply, contact your GP directly - do not use the National Pandemic Flu Service.
§ you are pregnant
§ you have a sick child under one year old
§ your child has a serious underlying illness
§ your child's condition suddenly gets much worse
§ your child's condition is still getting worse after five days

Why pregnant women are more at risk
In pregnancy, the immune system is naturally suppressed. This means that pregnant women are more likely to catch swine flu, and if they do catch it, they are more likely to develop complications (see below).
Don't panic: your immune system still functions and the risk of complications is very small. Most pregnant women will only have mild symptoms.

Symptoms and risks
If you are pregnant and you catch swine flu, the symptoms should be similar to those of regular flu. Typical symptoms are a fever and a cough, but you may also have:
  • tiredness
  • headache
  • aching muscles
  • runny nose
  • sore throat
  • nausea
  • diarrhoea
Most pregnant women will have only mild symptoms and recover within a week. However, there is evidence from previous flu pandemics that pregnant women are more likely to develop complications.

Possible complications are:
pneumonia (an infection of the lungs), difficulty breathing, and
dehydration.

In pregnant women, these are more likely to happen in the second and third trimester.

If a pregnant woman develops a complication of swine flu, such as pneumonia, there is a small chance this will lead to premature labour or miscarriage. There is not yet enough information to know precisely how likely these birth risks are.

It is therefore important to be well prepared and to take precautions against swine flu.
Special precautions
If you are pregnant, you can reduce your risk of infection by avoiding unnecessary travel and avoiding crowds where possible.

Pregnant women should also follow the general advice outlined in the box, top right. Good hygiene is essential.

If a family member or other close contact has swine flu, your doctor may prescribe you antiviral medication (usually Relenza) as a prophylactic (preventative) measure.

If you think that you may have swine flu, call your doctor for an assessment immediately. If your doctor confirms swine flu over the phone, you will be prescribed antiviral medication to take as soon as possible (see box, left).

Unless you have swine flu symptoms, carry on attending your antenatal appointments to monitor the progress of your pregnancy.

What are the symptoms of swine flu virus(H1N1)?  

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Although uncomplicated influenza-like illness (fever, cough or sore throat) has been reported in many cases, mild respiratory illness (nasal congestion, rhinorrhea) without fever and occasional severe disease also has been reported. Other symptoms reported with swine influenza A virus infection include vomiting, diarrhea, myalgia, headache, chills, fatigue, and dyspnea. Conjunctivitis is rare, but has been reported. Severe disease (pneumonia, respiratory failure) and fatal outcomes have been reported with swine influenza A virus infection. The potential for exacerbation of underlying chronic medical conditions or invasive bacterial infection with swine influenza A virus infection should be considered.

What is the treatment of swine flu?  

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Antiviral drugs can be used to treat swine flu or to prevent infection with swine flu viruses. The anti-viral medicines oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza) are being used to treat people with swine flu. Antiviral drugs work by preventing the flu virus from reproducing. To be effective you need to take them within 48 hours of the symptoms beginning. These flu drugs can decrease the duration of the flu by 1 to 2 days if used within this early time period. These antivirals are usually given for a period of about 5-7 days. It's unclear whether these drugs can prevent complications of the flu. Tamiflu is approved for prevention and treatment in people 1 year old and older. Relenza is approved for treatment of people 7 years old and older and for prevention in people 5 years old and older. These medications must be prescribed by a health care professional.
Side effects: Side effects of antiviral drugs may include nervousness, poor concentration, nausea, and vomiting. Relenza is not recommended for people with a history of breathing problems, such as asthma, because it may cause a worsening of breathing problems. Discuss side effects with your doctor.
Self medication: Antibiotics are a no-no. Chances are that antibiotics will not help your flu symptoms. That's because flu, colds, and most sore throats and bronchitis are caused by viruses. In addition, taking antibiotics when you have a virus may do more harm than good. Taking antibiotics when they are not needed increases your risk of getting an infection later that resists antibiotic treatment. Antibiotics only cure certain infections due to bacteria -- and if taken carelessly, you may get more serious health problems than you bargained for.Is there a vaccine to treat swine flu virus? No, there isn’t a vaccine yet. But vaccines are being made in large quantities. Clinical tests will begin in August 2009. Depending on how long federal officials wait for the results of these tests, tens of millions of doses of swine flu vaccine could be ready as soon as September 2009, with more vaccine becoming available each month thereafter. The first doses of vaccine likely will go to pregnant women and young children ages 6 months to 4 years, with older school kids to follow.
Source: Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Health Service, UK website, WebMD

What is the swine flu?  

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Swine flu is a respiratory disease which infects pigs. It is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by one of many Influenza A viruses. Symptoms are like regular flu symptoms and include fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, body aches, headache, chills, and fatigue.

The swine influenza A (H1N1) virus that has infected humans in the U.S. and Mexico is a novel influenza A virus that has not previously been identified in North America. This virus is resistant to the antiviral medications amantadine (Symmetrel) and rimantadine (Flumadine), but is sensitive to oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza). Investigations of these cases suggest that on-going human-to-human swine influenza A (H1N1) virus is occurring.

With H1N1 swine flu virus spreading faster in India, be aware of the swine flu symptoms in humans. Emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention are listed below both for adults and children.

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