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