Swine flu is a contagious viral respiratory disease. Usually it only infects pigs but it is capable of jumping species and infecting humans. Many of the Mexicans who died this spring from the swine flu worked on or near pig farms. Once it infects one human, it can keep spreading from person to person. You cannot get this virus from eating pork if it has been properly cooked above 160 F. In an attempt to stop people’s fear of getting swine flu from eating pork, politicians, health authorities, and the pork industry are referring to the swine flu by it’s clinical name-the H1N1 virus.

This virus enters the body through the eyes, nose or mouth. Coughing or sneezing releases viral germs into the air. From here they can be breathed in or spread to hard surfaces. The virus can survive for a number of hours on surfaces like light switches, door knobs, telephones, coins or bank machines. Anyone who touches these surfaces can then infect themselves.

The H1N1 virus is capable of mutating it’s genetic makeup. Mutations can be deadly as human beings do not have natural immunity to new strains. At it’s worst, symptoms of the flu can progress to pneumonia or respiratory failure. Fever and body aches are signs that the body is fighting a viral infection. Coughs, sore throats and fatigue are also symptoms of the H1N1 virus. People who become infected are contagious for a day before symptoms show up and remain contagious for an average of 7 days.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has listed this outbreak as a level 5 out of 6 pandemic alert. The flu pandemic of 1918 started out as a mild strain in the spring. By the fall/winter season of that year it had spread and became the deadly version that killed millions. The nature of this spring’s swine flu outbreak has the WHO worried that the same pattern could occur this year.