People seem to be panicked about swine flu so I’d like to know the differences between swine flu and other types of flu. What makes it more dangerous?
Best Answer: from what i understand, the swine flu and the flu that we are used to are very very similar, so one is not technically more dangerous then another.
the difference is our body's response to swine flu vs the flues that our body's have been exposed to. each strain of flu virus, no matter how similar requires our body's to respond and recognzie it. Even if you have never actually gotten sick with the flu (and many people havent ever actually gotten true influenza) you, most likely have some type of immunity (recognition). This may be from birth and/or breast feeding(mother's immunity), a previous flue shot, contacting the virus in small amounts, etc.
Recognition of a virus (or bacteria) is the intent of vaccines, giving a small amount of weak virus/bacteria or toxins or other various live or dead components allows the body to recognize it and therefore form a response to it.
The problem with a 'new' virus is that our bodies have no clue how to respond to it or fight it off. If the first exposure is an 'infective dose', it can overwhelm the body very easily.
The spanish flu pandemic of 1918 killed over 50 MILLION worldwide..it was unrecognized and 'new'. Now, that same flu and its descendants are the common flu. about a hundered years ago the flue that we are less concerned about now was a death sentence.
Loading ...
9 Comments
I don’t know if your healthy H1N1 should just be like the flu?
H1N1 is a type of Influenza A. When Influenza A was first found, many people died as there were no vaccines to use for prevention. Now that the Swine flu has surfaced and is a different type, people are panicked as there was no vaccine to prevent its spread. Vaccines have recently been approved for Swine Flu, but haven’t been given to the public yet, so people are worried that certain populations, such as small children, cannot defend themselves against this “new” flu.
The symptoms are nearly the same, but Swine flu’s main symptoms are a fever over 100 degrees, a sore throat and/or cough.
I don’t think there’s much difference at all. Some of my friends had swine flu early in the summer and they have all made full recoveries.
The best site is the Mayo Clinic; they give accurate,excellent advice
It’s actually just another different strain of influenza, just like the “regular seasonal” flu that is also circulating. The difference is it seems to be easily communicable.
The swine flu virus looks no more dangerous than a regular flu strain…so it’s not that if you get swine flu, you will get much more sicker. It’s no more dangerous than regular flu strain.
Hey Lalu212,
The short answer is:
Flu – a viral respiratory infection
H1N1 – a strain of the flu (H1N1 is a strain of Type A Influenza)
The longer answer is…
In the last decade we’ve really had two major circulating forms of virus that we’re particularly concerned about — that is the avian flu, or bird flu, and the swine H1N1 virus. They are both influenza A viruses, but in terms of their genetic makeup and how they behave they are very, very different infections. The flu is a respiratory illnesses caused by different viruses. Because most strains of the flu have similar symptoms, it can be difficult to tell the difference between them based on symptoms alone. In general, the flu is worse than the common cold, (another viral respiratory illness) and symptoms such as fever, body aches, extreme tiredness, and dry cough are more common and intense. People with colds are more likely to have a runny or stuffy nose. Colds generally do not result in serious health problems, such as pneumonia, bacterial infections, or hospitalizations.
You can read much more here http://www.info2here.com
Because the flu and the H1N1 strain share many symptoms, it can be difficult (or even impossible) to tell the difference between them based on symptoms alone. Special tests that usually must be done within the first few days of illness can be carried out, when needed to tell if a person has the flu, and what strain they might have, like H1N1.
Hope this helps!
There is a lot of difference. People generally don’t die unless they are old or have compromised immune system if they have normal infuenza.
But in the case of swine flu, many young healthy people have died. In fact the old are less vulnerable than those of ages 20 -40. Also I know someone’s baby died as the brain just degenerated, quite unlike the normal flu. I also know of a 20 year old who died from it.
You are so right! Public frenzy about swine flu (especially with words like “epidemic” and “pandemic” being tossed around) makes people think it’s somehow much worse than regular seasonal flu.
The truth is, there is practically no difference in symptoms between swine flu and seasonal flu. They are different viruses, with slightly different duration and intensity, but the symptoms themselves are virtually the same. Swine flu is reportedly a little milder but a little longer lasting than seasonal flu.
So if you get the flu of any kind, stay home and rest, drink plenty of fluids, treat the symptoms, and monitor your temperature. A fever helps combat the flu, but if it goes 103 or higher, call your doctor.
from what i understand, the swine flu and the flu that we are used to are very very similar, so one is not technically more dangerous then another.
the difference is our body’s response to swine flu vs the flues that our body’s have been exposed to. each strain of flu virus, no matter how similar requires our body’s to respond and recognzie it. Even if you have never actually gotten sick with the flu (and many people havent ever actually gotten true influenza) you, most likely have some type of immunity (recognition). This may be from birth and/or breast feeding(mother’s immunity), a previous flue shot, contacting the virus in small amounts, etc.
Recognition of a virus (or bacteria) is the intent of vaccines, giving a small amount of weak virus/bacteria or toxins or other various live or dead components allows the body to recognize it and therefore form a response to it.
The problem with a ‘new’ virus is that our bodies have no clue how to respond to it or fight it off. If the first exposure is an ‘infective dose’, it can overwhelm the body very easily.
The spanish flu pandemic of 1918 killed over 50 MILLION worldwide..it was unrecognized and ‘new’. Now, that same flu and its descendants are the common flu. about a hundered years ago the flue that we are less concerned about now was a death sentence.