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• Prevention and Risk Factors

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• Related Issues
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Summary

Swine flu is an infection caused by a virus. It's named for a virus that pigs can get. People do not normally get swine flu, but human infections can and do happen. In 2009 a strain of swine flu called H1N1 infected many people around the world.

The virus is contagious and can spread from human to human. Symptoms of swine flu in people are similar to the symptoms of regular human flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue.

There are antiviral medicines you can take to prevent or treat swine flu. There is a vaccine available to protect against swine flu. You can help prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses like influenza by:

• Covering your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
• Washing your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. You can also use alcohol-based hand cleaners.
• Avoiding touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
• Trying to avoid close contact with sick people.
• Staying home from work or school if you are sick.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Start Here

• About Swine/Variant Flu (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• H1N1 Influenza (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish

Prevention and Risk Factors

• Influenza (Flu) Vaccine (Inactivated or Recombinant): What You Need to Know (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF

Related Issues

• Vaccinations and Flu Shots for People with Cancer (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish

Specifics

• About Influenza in Swine (Pigs) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• CDC Risk Assessment and Reporting of Variant Influenza Viruses (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Statistics and Research

• Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Influenza, Human (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Genetic Evolution of the Hemagglutinin Genes of Seasonal Influenza A Viruses...
• Article: Purine nucleoside phosphorylase dominates Influenza A virus replication and host hyperinflammation...
• Article: Influenza vaccine effectiveness in Europe and the birth cohort effect against...
• H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu) -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Also in Spanish
• World Health Organization

Patient Handouts

• College students and the flu (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• H1N1 influenza (Swine flu) (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Pregnancy and the flu (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Your baby and the flu (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Your child and the flu (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish