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Influenza

1 byte added, 05:23, October 28, 2009
/* Swine Flu */ added a missed space
In April, 2009, a worldwide outbreak of Swine Flu was reported, first in Mexico, and soon in many other countries as well, giving every indication of a possible pandemic. The [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] said, ''The virus is a mix of human virus, bird virus from North America and pig viruses from North America, Europe and Asia.'' The CDC at first recommended the use of the flu drugs Tamiflu and Relenza, as there specific vaccine for H1N1 became available in late summer 2009. It is genetically different from the fully human H1N1 seasonal influenza virus that has been circulating globally for the past few years. The new flu virus contains DNA typical to avian, swine and human viruses, including elements from European and Asian swine viruses. <ref>[http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/ CDC: Swine Influenza]</ref> <ref>[http://www.who.int/csr/don/2009_04_24/en/index.html WHO bulletin: Epidemic and Pandemic Alert and Response (EPR)]</ref>
Different varieties of swine flu have been known for many years. The virus routinely causes outbreaks in pigsbut pigs but seldom infect humans. Currently medical workers are exploring the possibility of a mutation of known types of the virus, enabling it to pass among species more easily. There have been cases of the virus spreading from human to human, probably in the same way as seasonal flu, through coughing and sneezing by infected people. The virus is an influenza A virus, carrying the designation H1N1. <ref>[http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/general_info.htm Swine Influenza: General Information]</ref>
===Spanish Flu Pandemic: 1918-1919===
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