Swine flu (H1N1) directory

Swine flu, or H1N1 flu, is a strain of the flu virus that emerged in Mexico in April 2009. This strain differed from previous swine flu strains in that it combined swine, bird, and human flu viruses. It quickly spread to a global pandemic and caused fear and confusion around the world. Swine flu is caused by virus transmission through contact with an infected surface or cough and sneeze droplets. You can be contagious for up to 10 days after contracting the virus. Symptoms are the same as the seasonal flu, and treamtents include antiviral drugs such as Tamiflu and Relenza. The H1N1 vaccine and some seasonal flu jabs can help prevent this flu strain. Follow the links below to find BootsWebMD's comprehensive coverage about how H1N1 is contracted, how to treat it and much more.

Medical reference

News archive

People in ‘at risk’ groups are being reminded to get a flu jab after it emerged that 10 people have died as a result of swine flu in the past six weeks.

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Features

As with any sort of influenza, the severity and duration of symptoms will vary depending on treatment and individual circumstances. Most cases reported in the UK to date have been relatively mild, with those affected starting to recover within a week.

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