The Facts About
H1N1 Virus (swine flu)
You can find a lot of information and misinformation online and elsewhere about the H1N1 virus commonly referred to as Swine Flu. Because many people are concerned about H1N1 virus, we want to make sure you have access to the facts and the latest updates.
You'll find a number of common questions and answers here as well as links to reliable sources. The goal is to make the information you may be searching for available to you.
| Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
World Health Organization |
| Pandemic Flu (managed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) |
Medline Plus |
| The Mayo Clinic |
DEFINING H1N1 VIRUS
Q: What is H1N1 virus ("Swine Flu")?
A: H1N1 flu virus is typically a respiratory disease in pigs that doesn't usually spread to people. The H1N1 virus is a new strain that is causing illness in humans. This new virus is spreading from person-to-person, similar to how regular seasonal influenza viruses spread.
Source: www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/qa.htm
Q: What are the symptoms of H1N1 virus?
A: The symptoms of the H1N1 virus in people are similar to those of regular human flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with H1N1.
Source: www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/qa.htm
Q: How is this H1N1 virus different than other viruses?
A: This virus was originally referred to as swine flu because many of the genes appeared similar to influenza viruses that normally occur in North American pigs. However, further study has shown that this new virus is very different. It has two genes from flu viruses that normally circulate in pigs in Europe and Asia, and it has bird genes and human genes.
Source: www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/qa.htm
