In Summary
- First case of swine flu has been detected in UK.
- Influenza viruses such as H1N1 infect the cells that line your nose, throat and lungs.The virus spreads through the air in droplets released when someone with the virus coughs, sneezes,breathes or talks.
- You can’t catch swine flu from eating pork.
Health officials are investigating the first confirmed case of a new strain of swine flu in the UK.
The swine flu infection was detected in a routine flu screening test at a GP surgery in North Yorkshire.
Officials said the person had respiratory symptoms, a mild illness and had fully recovered.
They are not known to have worked with pigs and investigations will look at where the infection came from and its risk to human health.
Human infections with swine flu viruses do occur, there have been 50 cases of A(H1N2)v reported globally in the past 20 years.
The infection found in the UK is slightly different from recent human cases of swine flu globally,health officials say, but similar to viruses in UK pigs.
In 2009, there was a pandemic of swine flu in humans caused by a virus spreading in pigs, birds and humans.
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Causes of Swine flu
Influenza viruses such as H1N1 infect the cells that line your nose, throat and lungs.The virus spreads through the air in droplets released when someone with the virus coughs, sneezes,breathes or talks.
The virus enters your body when you breathe in contaminated droplets. It also can enter your body if you touch a contaminated surface and then touch your eyes, nose or mouth.
You can’t catch swine flu from eating pork.
People with the virus are likely able to spread the virus from about a day before symptoms appear until about four days after they start.
Children and people with weakened immune systems may be able to spread the virus for a slightly longer time.
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Signs and Symptoms
The symptoms of flu caused by H1N1,commonly called the swine flu, are similar to those of other flu viruses.
Some of the signs and symptoms includes:
- Fever, but not always.
- Aching muscles.
- Chills and sweats.
- Cough.
- Sore throat.
- Runny or stuffy nose.
- Watery, red eyes.
