What exactly is swine flu?

Swine flu is a form of influenza that is caused by strains of virus that usually infects pigs. It’s a common infection among pigs in Midwestern US, Mexico, Canada, South America, Europe, Kenya, mainland china, Taiwan, Japan and other parts of Asia. Transmission of the swine flu virus from pigs to humans is not common, though there have been some reported cases earlier among people who work in close proximity with pigs. Since the mid twentieth century, only about fifty such transmissions have been reported, the spread and disappearance being more localized.

But the current strain of microbe is re-silent and fast moving, and what’s even more worrying is that it spreads from human to human contact, unlike the earlier report cases. This means that none of us are immune to the possibility of infection.

Reports indicate that the current strain is the new one of influenza a virus subtype H1N1. The origin of this strain is unknown. World organization of animal health reports that this strain is not isolated in pigs, and other initial reports describe it is an apparent re-assortment of at least four strains from humans, birds and swine.