What makes swine flu so dangerous is that like all influenza viruses it undergoes the process of antigenic drift. This is when spot mutations occur on the genetic material that causes slight changes in the physical make-up of the virus.

These slight changes are what frustrate scientist’s attempts to create the ultimate vaccination for influenza. Due to constant changes to the protein particles of the outer coats of viruses (which the immune system is targeted for during vaccination) new vaccines are always needed to combat ever new versions of the viruses.

Swine flu is an example of such a change. But what are these changes and what parts of the virus causes the damage that destroys normal healthy cells?

The H1N1 designation of the swine flu virus gives us a clue to the inner workings of the virus. It represents the major functional proteins on its surface.

The ‘H’ stands for hemagglutinin which is a protein that binds the swine flu virus to the cell and injects its content into it.

The ‘N’ stands for neuraminidase which possesses a number of specialized enzymes that causes the infected cells to release the newly formed viruses.

All these aspects of swine flu make it potentially very dangerous. Even though the form that is currently spreading is relatively mild it could still change into a virulent strain in the next few months before winter arrives. The fact that it’s also a new disease means that there is no current vaccine for swine flu. So if it becomes more deadly, we will have no protection against it except for those provided by generic anti-viral drugs like Tamiflu and Relenza.

Tamiflu works by blocking the action of neuroamindase, obstructing the flu virus’s ability to spread from one cell to the other. But it is only effective as a treatment if it is used in the first few days during the onset of swine flu. The problem with anti-viral drugs is that it is often very difficult to diagnose the onset of swine flu. By the time the disease is identified it’s often too late to use the drugs. This is one of the reasons the effectiveness of anti-virals drugs has been called into question.

So we are currently exposed to the full potential of swine flu. We know the devastation that influenza viruses can cause, the Spanish flu pandemic infected more than one third of the world’s population and killed more than 50 million people.

We have no choice but to be vigilant to the spread of swine flu. Millions will undoubtedly catch the disease and many more will die from it. All we can do is hope that it doesn’t become more virulent and cause too much death. In its current mild form we can contain it and can control the worse of its symptoms through the use of anti-viral drugs. But if it changes we could be in trouble. Even the vaccines that are currently been developed might not be as effective if the change is marked. What we have to remember is that it is dangerous because it is so changeable and in light of this we have no choice but to treat it with extreme caution.

Your Children And Swine Flu – Why They Have Higher Risks

The U.S. government recently put out a report stating that the death rate from the h1n1 virus may be 3 times the rate of the ordinary seasonal influenza. But the news is not all bad. In fact, there is good news and bad news regarding your children and swine flu. The good news is that the government indicates that a vaccine for swine flu may be ready by late October or early November But unfortunately, flu season generally begins in September as our children are just going back to school. This means that your child may be exposed to the H1N1 before a vaccine is available. So, how vulnerable and what are the risks for your children and swine flu?

School age children with certain diseases, are faced with an increased risk for complications or even death if they come down with the swine flu. These high risk diseases include; frequent chest colds, asthma, Copd, emphysema, and other respiratory conditions. Some youngsters can have a very mild case of asthma without ever showing any prior signs of the disease. In this situation, swine flu can result in an extremely dangerous condition. In the event that your child has any of the diseases that are itemized here, you should call your family doctor right away and talk about precautions regarding your children and swine flu before they go back to school.

If an outbreak of H1N1 occurs and one of your children has a lung condition like asthma, your son or daughter will have a higher risk for serious complications or even death. Among medical professionals, it is well known that those who suffer from asthma have a much higher risk of developing severe complications than others.

In fact, about 41% of swine flu hospital patients in New York City suffered from asthma or a similar lung condition. And recently, 7 swine flu deaths were reported in New York. Out of those seven deaths, 6 of them involved people who had asthma. If you are concerned about your children and swine flu regarding an asthmatic condition, you should speak with your doctor and see if he advises any special precautions regarding the your children and swine flu even if there is no flu in the area where you live.

H1N1 is a virus that induces influenza in humans. The pathogen has gone thru a recent mutation into its present form. Due to this recent mutation, humans have no protection from the illness. This is the reason that governments worldwide are concerned about the possibility of a pandemic.

Like the typical seasonal influenza, serious complications and even death has occurred as a consequence of illness associated with this serious disease. Just in the U.S., nearly thirty-six thousandindividuals die yearly from flu related issues. But alarmingly, the U.S. gov’t has indicated that 90,000 individuals could die from swine flu this year. That is almost three times the death rate of the oridinary seasonal flu. For this reason, swine flu is very dangerous..

If you are concerned about your children and swine flu, safeguarding your family, or if you know someone that has one of the special risk factors listed above, do some swine flu preparation before an outbreak ocurrs. Take steps today to guard yourself and your loved ones from the swine flu. Once an outbreak strikes, hospitals may be filled to capacity and it may be too late to do anything.

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Prior to 2009, it was quite rare for people to contract swine flu. In order to catch the disease, you had to have some sort of contact with pigs. However, in March of this year, all that changed. It seemed that people infected with swine flu had no contact with pigs. The disease had mutated and was being transmitted person to person. Normally, after you have had a particular strain of influenza, your body retains the antibodies to kill it in the future. This gives you an immunity to the disease. But the current strain of swine flu virus underwent a major mutation. This mutation is a completely new strain of influenza. As a result, no one is immune to the disease. And that is why government officials are so concerned about the possibility of a worldwide pandemic. During a normal influenza season, the human influenza virus is spread through respiratory droplets. These droplets enter the air when an infected individual coughs, sneezes, or breathes on you. The disease also spreads when you touch eyes, nose, or mouth with contaminated hands. In March and April 2009, hundreds of cases of respiratory illness were reported in Mexico that were suspected or confirmed to be caused by swine influenza. By April, over 100 deaths were attributed to the disease in Mexico and cases started to be reported in the United States. The first cases came from California and Texas. Since then, reports of the disease showing up in other states rapidly followed. Reports of confirmed or suspected disease have also come from Canada, New Zealand, and Spain. Because many cases of the disease are not disclosed, there are undoubtedly more infections than have been reported. And because of the rapid spread of the disease, governments worldwide are concerned. If you are concerned about the swine flu and the safety of your family, download my guide on How To Reduce Your Risk Of Swine Flu Infection By 98%. Download the complete system at Preventing Swine Flu!

Under certain conditions, some individuals have an increased risk for complications and possibly even death. Asthma and swine flu is one of the factors that can increase your risk. Those who have asthma have a significantly higher chance of having serious complications than others.

Almost 41% of swine flu hospital patients in New York City suffered from asthma. And recently, 7 swine flu deaths were reported in New York. Of those seven deaths, six of the individuals had asthma. If you have asthma you should call your doctor and see if he recommends any special precautions regarding the swine flu, even before an outbreak occurs in your area.

The H1N1 swine flu is a virus that induces influenza in humans. The pathogen has gone through a mutation into its present form. Due to this mutation, humans have no immunity to the virus. This is the reason that governments worldwide are worried about the chance of a pandemic. Like the typical seasonal influenza, serious complications and death has taken place as a consequence of sickness related to this serious disease. In the United States alone, about 36,000 folks die each year from influenza related issues.

If you are worried about asthma and swine flu, protecting your loved ones, or have a the risk factor, do some swine influenza preparation. Do what is necessary to protect yourself and your loved ones from the swine influenza. Once an outbreak occurs, it could be too late.

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