This Isn’t Your Grandmother’s Flu

People have been battling various strains of the influenza virus for years - avian flu, SARS, the Spanish flu, and others. Flu can cause numerous symptoms including fever, chills, respiratory issues, and even nausea and vomiting. Because the flu is so common and there are many over-the-counter remedies for symptoms, many people don’t even visit a doctor when they suspect they have the flu. Every year there are thousands of people who die from the flu, mostly the elderly, very young children, or people with compromised immune systems.

But when a particular flu strain begins to make headlines because it is more virulent than others, or because there are no treatments for it, people start to panic. Such is the case with the recent outbreak of swine flu, which so far has killed more than 150 people and sickened at least 2400 other people in Mexico. World health officials are worried that this particular flu could be the start of a global pandemic. Mexico City has closed its schools and some public offices, and President Obama has closed several schools in New York City. Countries all around the world are taking precautions, from slaughtering hogs to wearing masks and gloves in public places.

The World Health Organization says that a pandemic is officially named whenever three conditions exist: the disease is new to a specific population or geographic area; the disease affects humans and causes serious illness; and the disease can be spread easily among humans. Diseases that are widespread or kill many people are not considered pandemics; the disease must be contagious or infectious.

This particular version of swine flu worries health officials because it is inching closer to fulfilling all three of these requirements. The strain is a new one that has not been seen in humans before, so people do not have an immunity to it, and there is not currently any vaccine for it. It has caused serious illness and death, particularly in Mexico, the "ground zero" of the epidemic. Although official say the outbreak is reminiscent of the Spanish flu in 1918, the cases outside of Mexico have appeared to be milder, not causing any deaths or serious illness. Still, the virus can be spread from human to human, so the World Health Organization has ramped up the level of seriousness twice since the outbreak was first widely reported.

Scientists think that the reason deaths have occurred only in Mexico could be that genetic factors or medical conditions may have made Mexicans more susceptible. There may be many more Mexicans who have this strain of flu but in a milder version, so they may not have gone to the doctor for treatment. Or if they did, they may not have been tested for this particular strain. So the outbreak in Mexico may actually be worse than officials have been able to count so far.

The two most recent global pandemics were in 1957 and 1968, and the most susceptible people were elderly people or those with other medical conditions. In 1976 there was a minor outbreak of swine flu inside a military camp in the United States that infected approximately 230 soldiers. When that happened, the US government thought the flu was going to be a pandemic strain, so they produced a vaccine for swine flu and started giving it to the population. So far, that vaccine has not proven to be effective against this current strain of swine flu.

The most effective way for the public to prepare for the eventuality of a pandemic is to try to maintain good health. Eat a healthy diet, get plenty of exercise, and be sure your vaccinations are up to date. Keep an emergency kit of necessary supplies, such as flashlights, batteries, non-perishable food, water, and supplies of any prescription medications you take regularly. And if a pandemic is declared and things go from bad to worse, prayer always helps.