Swine flu facts and fallacies

• What is swine flu?

Swine flu is a respiratory illness caused by a type A influenza virus, usually of the subtype H1N1, that triggers outbreaks in pigs fairly regularly. It can also be transferred from pigs to humans, from humans to pigs, and from humans to other humans.

Four main virus subtypes – H1N1, H1N2, H3N2 and H3N1 – have been isolated in pigs, though the virus, like all influenza viruses, constantly mutates. When influenza viruses from different species infect pigs, the viruses can trade genes to create new versions that mix swine, human and/or avian influenza.

The swine H1N1 virus is not the same as the human H1N1 virus, so vaccines for the latter won't protect from the former.

• Can humans catch swine flu?

Yes, but it is not common. Usually, this happens to people who are in contact with pigs, though there are some documented cases of human-to-human transfer. Human-to-human transmission is believed to occur much like the regular flu, through coughing, sneezing and other contact. Eating pork does not transmit the virus. The symptoms resemble those of the regular flu virus.

• How can swine flu be diagnosed and treated?

Diagnosing requires a respiratory specimen taken during the first four or five days of infection, to be analyzed in a lab. The virus seems to respond to antiviral drugs, including those Canadian health authorities have been stockpiling in case of a flu pandemic.

• When has it happened before?

The best-known case of swine flu is a 1976 outbreak at an army barracks in Fort Dix, N.J., which sickened four soldiers and killed one. There have been no major outbreaks of swine flu recorded in Canada.

• How is swine flu H1N1 virus different from SARS and avian flu H5N1 virus?

All three come from animals, but SARS, a corona virus, and the avian flu are poorly adapted to infecting humans. As a result, it is fairly difficult for humans to catch either virus or pass them on to others, though the effects can prove deadly when infection occurs.

SOURCES: Centers for Disease Control; World Health Organization; Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion

Influenza A virus subtype H1N1

H1N1 is a subtype of the species Influenza A virus. The "H" refers to the Hemagglutinin protein, and the "N" refers to the Neuraminidase protein. H1N1 has mutated into various strains including the Spanish Flu strain (now extinct in the wild), mild human flu strains, endemic pig strains, and various strains found in birds. A variant of H1N1 was responsible for the Spanish flu pandemic that killed some 50 million to 100 million people worldwide from 1918 to 1919. A different variant exists in pig populations.

Low pathogenic H1N1 strains still exist in the wild today, causing roughly half of all flu infections in 2006.^[2] When the 1918 virus was compared with human flu viruses in 2005, it was noticed that it had alterations in just 25 to 30 of the virus's 4,400 amino acids. These changes were enough to turn a bird virus into a version that was human-transmissible.

In April of 2009, an H1N1 outbreak killed over eighty in Mexico, and was believed to have infected more than 1500 individuals worldwide as of April 26, 2009. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control warned that it was possible the outbreak could develop into a pandemic.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

5 Link Building Tips for New Websites

[Editor's Note: Please welcome this guest post from TopRank Online Marketing Content Promotions Supervisor, Dana Larson on basic link building tactics for new web sites.]

Despite the constantly evolving nature of search engines and ranking methods, inbound links continue be a significant influence on website rankings. The higher quality the link, the more authority that link passes on.

Sites that have been live and active on the web for many years attract a substantial number of links when well promoted. But, what about those sites that are brand new? How should they go about getting quality links right off the bat?

Here is a list of 5 link building tactics for new websites to get them off on the right foot:

1. Links from Local Organizations - If your company is registered with the Better Business Bureau or the Chamber of Commerce, the links from these sites can be very relevant for geographically specific terms and topics. Also, locate other local businesses and organizations that maintain lists of businesses to request a link from.
2. Optimized Press Releases - Your business just launched or you have compelling news to announce - why not tell the world about it? There are many great press release distribution services available that will not only increase your brand visibility, but also earn you inbound links. Press releases that get picked up will often mention and link to the company being mentioned. Press releases that are copied whole, as content to blogs and information web sites will frequently retain any embedded links within the press release. However, the links in press releases hosted with wire services are commonly short term or devalued. See this past post for tips on press release optimization and distribution.
   
3. Reputable Directory Submissions - While some online directories have gotten a bad rap or have become irrelevant, certain directories can still pack a punch when done right. A few of these directories include Yahoo! Directory and Best of the Web. Also, if your business services a specific geographic area, find some good local directories to submit to, such as Google Local or use a service like GetListed. Optimizing and including your site in local data sources, search engines and directories can help boost your local search visibility.
   
4. Charity and Non-Profit Links - Does your company’s business model include philanthropy? When you make charitable contributions to organizations and non-profits, find out if it has a “Donors” list on its website and suggest a link.
   
5. Blog Based Link Building - If you’re thinking of starting a blog for your company, be sure to network online with complimentary blogs. Share industry news, original ideas and useful tips and you’ll attract links, often times, without asking. Link to other blogs in your industry, and reference fellow industry bloggers. They’ll notice and may link back. Links that come as a result of sharing useful blog content with others can attract traffic in the short term and boost search engine rankings overall. Just look at our own TopRank Online Marketing Blog with over 700,000 inbound links as an example.

When starting a link building campaign for new website, keep in mind relevancy and authority, because nothing beats a first impression. Whether the first external sites that link to your site make a difference in how search engines undstand and rank your web site may be up for debate, but the value of association on consumers that click, visit and share is unmistakable. Focus on attracting links that add value to web site visitors and best represent your most important keywords at the same time.

New version of female condom touted

Advocates hope to see greater use in global fight against AIDS

updated 3:59 p.m. ET April 16, 2009

NEW YORK - Advocates of the female condom are promoting a less costly, more user-friendly version that they hope will vastly expand its role in the global fight against AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.

An early version of the female condom was introduced in 1993, and it remains the only available woman-initiated form of protection against both STDs and unintended pregnancy. Yet despite global promotion by the United Nations and other organizations, its usage is still minuscule, even as women bear an ever-growing share of the AIDS epidemic.

Advocates hope the dynamics will change following last month's approval by the Food and Drug Administration of the FC2, a new version of the female condom produced by the Chicago-based Female Health Co.

About 35 million female condoms were distributed worldwide last year, but that compares to more than 10 billion male condoms, which are far cheaper and, at least initially, easier to use. However, in some nations with high HIV rates, many men refuse to wear condoms, putting women at risk.

Though it looks similar to its predecessor — a soft, transparent sheath with flexible inner and outer rings — the FC2 is made from synthetic rubber rather than polyurethane, making it cheaper to produce.

Mary Ann Leeper, former president of Female Health Co. and now its strategic adviser, said the FC2 also is less noisy during use. Complaints about squeaky noises were among the factors that slowed acceptance of the original version.

Less costly than previous version
The cost of the FC2 is one-third less than its predecessor, and may go lower, enabling health organizations to distribute many millions more than at present. For now, the price is about 60 cents compared to less than 4 cents for mass-distributed male condoms — a difference that's an issue in the developing world.

The FC2 had been accepted previously by some international organizations, and the Female Health Co. distributed 14 million of them abroad last year along with 21 million of the older version. Advocates of the female condom praised the FDA announcement because it opens the door for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), one of the largest global providers of condoms, to distribute the FC2 overseas.

"This is a tremendous victory," said Susie Hoffman, an assistant professor of clinical epidemiology at Columbia University who contends the female condom has suffered from misconceptions.

"In the United States, there has been strong bias against it," Hoffman said. "Some people involved in AIDS and family planning would say, 'Why do we need these? ... It's so weird that women are not going to pick it up.'"

"But if presented in the right way, many women do like it," Hoffman said. "To find these people and help them and train them, you need systematic programming, which costs money."

Resistance is less of a problem in some developing nations. The U.N. Population Fund, government agencies and nonprofits are aggressively promoting female condoms in places such as Brazil, Ghana, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

Women's groups in Zimbabwe collected more than 30,000 signatures demanding access to the female condom. In Ghana, nonprofits say more than 10,000 people have attended training programs that teach women how to insert female condoms — they require careful instruction to be used properly — and how to negotiate with their male partners.

Challenges of price, stigma
"The mindset is changing, but there are still a lot of challenges," said Bidia Deperthes, the Population Fund's HIV technical adviser for condoms. "Accessibility is still minimal. There's a huge demand, and we're not meeting it."

Deperthes hopes that with FDA approval of the FC2, the number of female condoms distributed globally could climb to 50 million this year. If the numbers keep rising, she said, the cost to public-sector distributors for each FC2 could drop as low as 25 cents.

Jeff Spieler, a science adviser with USAID's Office of Population and Reproductive Health, said the female condom's future may depend on whether its promoters can develop a private-sector market. Its commercial price in the United States generally has been more than $2.

Another challenge is a stigma associated with the female condom in some places because prostitutes are among those deemed to benefit most from using it. On the other hand, advocates of the female condom say it has invaluable safe-sex potential for married women whose husbands are unfaithful and shun male condoms.

Serra Sippel, executive director of the Center for Health and Gender Equity in Washington, said FDA approval of the FC2 is a key step toward "putting the power of prevention in women's hands." But she bemoaned the product's limited over-the-counter availability.

"We'd love to see the profile raised, to have commercials about it and normalize it so people aren't embarrassed," she said.

Mary Ann Leeper said the Female Health Co. is seeking a corporate partner to help market the FC2. She suggested that concern about HIV/AIDS may generate interest among women in communities with high infection rates.

The female condom's advocates stress that it will never be the "magic bullet" that by itself turns the tide in fighting AIDS. But, they say, it should be a bigger part of the arsenal.

"It's not going to be the one answer," Hoffman said. "But it's got a lot more to contribute than it has to date."

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

10 ways to save money in 2009

By Sharon Epperson

You bought a home to build wealth. It's your greatest asset. But now even if you can afford to pay the mortgage, your home is worth less than you paid for it. You've dutifully socked money away in your 401(k), IRA or another retirement account and the value of those investments has dwindled. Those credit cards? You know you should pay them off, but the interest rates are rising at the same time you're trying to whittle down the balance.

The financial pain for many Americans is intense, but would likely feel less acute if you had enough savings on hand. If you had money you could get to at any moment, it could cushion the difference between your income and your expenses, especially if you've been laid off.

Unfortunately, the 2008 National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) Financial Literacy Survey co-sponsored by MSN Money revealed that the majority of people don't have a sufficient emergency fund, defined as three to six months' income saved. More than one-third, or roughly 76 million adults, say they do not have any nonretirement savings. Although the majority of people are currently saving for retirement, more than one-quarter aren't saving.

Here are 10 ways to save in 2009. First step, start small.

• Save for one month's expenses. Put 10% of your take-home pay into an interest-bearing savings account. Plan to have saved at least one month's worth of expenses — or better yet, one month's salary — by the end of the year.
• Shop around for the best rate. The bank where you have your checking account may not offer good interest rates on a savings account. Compare rates at sites like Bankrate.com and SavingsAccounts.com. Make sure the institution is FDIC-insured. You can open an HSBC Direct online savings account with just one dollar and earn a 3% rate. No minimum balance required.
• Make direct deposits from paycheck to savings. Some employers will allow you to designate several accounts for your paycheck. Have at least 10% of your paycheck directly deposited to savings, the rest to checking to cover monthly bills. If you can't do direct deposit, have the money automatically taken out of your checking account every month on payday.

Still not finding enough dollars to put into savings? Look harder. Here's how:

Cut back $10/month on 15 expenses. Examine your monthly expenses and see what you can cut out or cut back. If you could carve out $10 a month out of 15 different spending categories, you'd have $150 a month to go into your savings account. That means that in 12 months, you'd have built up a cushion of $1,800, which should see you through most short-term emergencies. (According to Consumer Reports, just brewing your own 16-oz. cup of coffee can save $350 a year.)

Put your raise, refund, monetary gifts right in the pot. Pretend you never received that windfall, however large or small. Since you weren't living on that money before, don't depend on it now. Use an income tax refund, if you're fortunate enough to get one, as the seed money for your savings. Perhaps it'll give you the funds you need for the first month of expenses, but remember your ultimate goal is to save for at least six months' worth.

Start saving for the holidays now. You probably did all of your holiday spending in the last six weeks — or less. Tally up your expenses for this holiday season, including gifts, travel, entertaining. Divide the total by 10 and contribute that amount to your savings each month from January to October. Next November you can start spending that amount, paying cash for your holiday purchases.

Reduce 401(k) contributions and put that money in savings. Continue to contribute enough money to your company's 401(k) to receive the matching contribution, if offered. But if you don't have sufficient cash savings, don't put in any more than that amount. Direct the excess percentage to your savings account. Don't suspend 401(k) contributions altogether, because it's still tax-deferred savings — a big plus. Just make sure you're able to put at least 10 percent of your take-home pay into cash savings. If you put in that amount, you may want to reduce your 401(k) contributions.

You'll also need to set goals for saving this one-month sum and then getting at least three to six times that amount into your cash savings account.

Here’s how to do it

Designate savings for "emergency" only. Many people regularly deposit money into savings only to pull it right back out. Define what constitutes an emergency, and don't touch the money unless it meets the definition. Also, don't keep your money in a checking account, as that makes it too easy to access.

Define your ultimate savings goal or goals. You need to start small, but don't forget the bigger picture. Ideally, to have a really comfortable cushion, you'll need to save at least three to six months' worth of income. In this economic environment, it's wise to set your savings goal at the high end of that range. Once you have your emergency fund in place, you may want to start a "car fund" or "house fund" or "debt reduction fund." Keeping different funds for each purpose can help you see how close you are getting to obtaining those specific goals.

Make saving a family affair. Set a family goal as well. Have your older children set a target of how much they plan to save (from baby-sitting, working at the supermarket or ice-cream store). Younger children can help you gather and count loose change and go with you to the bank to make the deposit. Let everyone know there will be a reward when the goal is met — a pizza party or night at the movies.

Finally, don't be afraid to ask for professional help. If you can't work out a budget on your own, go to a workshop or seminar at a certified credit counseling agency or hire a certified credit counselor. Find one that is certified by the National Foundation for Credit Counseling at www.debtadvice.org.

Women warned of ovarian cancer risk

Experts have urged women to be on their guard for ovarian cancer, which is more common than cervical cancer and claims more lives.

There has been an increase in the number of women going for cervical smears since the tragic death of Jade Goody from cervical cancer.

However, the charity Target Ovarian Cancer is concerned that women are less aware of ovarian cancer, a disease that affects around 6,800 women every year in the UK, making the nation's incidence of the disease one of the highest in Europe.

According to research, many women wrongly believe that a negative smear test also means they are clear of ovarian cancer.

Annwen Jones, chief executive of Target Ovarian Cancer, said that women should be given the correct facts.

'Sadly, cervical smears do not rule out ovarian cancer, which is more common and kills more women than cervical cancer. So women need to be on their guard,' he said.

'There is, as yet, no proven screening test for ovarian cancer and this makes it all the more vital for women to be aware of the symptoms of ovarian cancer especially if they have had a family history of breast or ovarian cancer or have already had breast cancer themselves.'

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