 General Flu Information | Seasonal Flu
The novel H1N1 Influenza A is a new flu virus causing illness in people and was called the "swine flu". This new virus was first found in people in the United States in April 2009. Other countries, including Mexico and Canada, have reported people sick with this new virus, which spreads from person-to-person in much the same way as regular seasonal flu spreads.
In the beginning, this virus was thought to be similar to flu viruses that normally occur in pigs in North America and was referred to as the swine flu. However, further study has shown that this virus is actually different from what normally circulates in North American pigs and is made up of two genes from viruses found in pigs in Europe and Asia, plus a gene from a bird and a human.
The symptoms of H1N1 flu in people are much like the symptoms of the regular seasonal flu and include fever over 100 degrees, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and tiredness. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting related to the H1N1 flu. Like seasonal flu, H1N1 flu may cause already existing chronic medical conditions to get worse.
For more information about swine flu, call the ADH hotline at 1-800-651-3493 or go to www.healthyarkansas.com or http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/swineflu_you.htm. The Health Department will provide updates as they become available. |
