Swine Flu Definition | Definition, Symptoms, Prevention of Swine Flu

You must have heard so much about this type of influenza. You know that it is a contagious disease and can eat up a whole country in just a few months. However, much of this information cannot really be regarded as substantial unless some medical, scientific, and research information would enlighten us with this infamous viral disease. That is, knowing the definition of swine flu in more details will help us understand the prevalence and the gravity of acquiring this disease.

Definition of Swine Flu

Swine flu or swine influenza is commonly and interchangeably used with H1N1 and has long been dubbed with many medical terms such as human swine flu, H1N2, and H3N2. More commonly associated with pigs, this type of influenza has been transferred to humans centuries ago when a huge outbreak happened in 1918 and in 1976 was widely spread in the United States that started with an army recruit who just felt tired and weak and died the following day.

Swine flu, by scientific definition, is a type of influenza A that which is most common in pigs worldwide. Hence, the term “swine” originating from the endemic nature of influenza in pigs. This type of influenza virus is pandemic as the transmission to humans or other creatures is reportedly airborne and is transmitted at a fast rate.

On the other hand, among the three genres of the influenza family, influenza C is also one cause of flu in pigs as well as human transmission.

This type of virus also infects pigs and humans but is not common in other animals. However, unlike influenza A virus, this subtype is not pandemic among humans as this is not easily passed on from person to person.

Swine Flu Outbreak

Since the wide alarm of swine flu has again threatened national and international powers, more and more studies are being funded to make sure that this type of disease is lessened in terms of occurrence if not totally eradicated.

Swine flu cases have reached a worldwide substantial statistics again since the 1976 outbreak. As of July this year, cases of confirmed swine flu victims has reached to a number of 78,000 in the United Kingdom alone and nearly 5,000 deaths reported according to updates from the World Health Organization. Fatal cases were reportedly originating in the countries of Iceland, Trinidad, and Tobago.

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