Pandemics and Epidemics: H1N1/Swine Flu (Year 2009)

(Abstract) " The article discusses the spread of the African swine flu in South Korea despite the government's decision to ban on moving pigs."

(Abstract) "Swine origin influenza is a deadly infection caused by influenza H1N1 virus. It was first identified in the border of the United states and Mexico in April 2009, became the swine influenza pandemic within short span of two months causing several thousands of deaths. The novel influenza H1N1 virus emergingly produced by triple reassortment of genes from swine, avian and human viruses. These viruses transmitted by means of small fomities or droplets. Incubation period of influenza H1N1 virus is 2-9 days. Common symptoms like seasonal flu such as fever, sore throat, cough and myalgia. Children under five years, pregnant women, adolescents on aspirin and patients with chronic systemic illness are more susceptible to severe influenza complications. Acute respiratory failure and pneumonia are the most common complications caused by swine origin influenza. RT-PCR and viral culture are the detection techniques which show highest specificity (>90%) during the diagnosis of swine influenza virus. Antiviral drugs include: zamanavir and oseltamivir are highly effective against influenza H1N1 virus shows low fatality rate (<1%). Preventive measures should be followed to control or prevent the spread of influenza."

(Abstract) "Influenza A viruses (IAVs) are one of the most intensively studied pathogens, due to the severe global mortality and economic disruption associated with influenza pandemics [[1]]. Here, we describe how the modernization of swine production during the last half century provided new opportunities for IAVs to become established in swine globally [[3]-[5]], resulting in the first influenza pandemic of swine origin in 2009 [[6]]. Genetic sequencing of the first H1N1 pandemic viruses isolated from humans in April 2009 rapidly determined that the reassortant virus was comprised of three genetic lineages of swine origin (Fig 2B) [[6]]."

Collection of Swine Flu articles from New Scientist.

(Partial abstract) "The swine-origin influenza A (H1N1) virus that appeared in 2009 and was first found in human beings in Mexico, is a reassortant with at least three parents. Six of the genes are closest in sequence to those of H1N2 'triple-reassortant' influenza viruses isolated from pigs in North America around 1999-2000. Its other two genes are from different Eurasian 'avian-like' viruses of pigs; the NA gene is closest to H1N1 viruses isolated in Europe in 1991-1993, and the MP gene is closest to H3N2 viruses isolated in Asia in 1999-2000. The sequences of these genes do not directly reveal the immediate source of the virus as the closest were from isolates collected more than a decade before the human pandemic started. The three parents of the virus may have been assembled in one place by natural means, such as by migrating birds, however the consistent link with pig viruses suggests that human activity was involved."

Timelines, infographics, image gallery, and history of the Influenza of 1918-1919.

Background information on Swine Flu.