sebagai i.k yang bertanggungjawab pada orang awam (chewahh!).gwa ingin membantu dengan memberi sedikit info (walaupun dicopypastekan).penyakit ni da bertapak kat malaysia.so watch out.

1. What is Swine Flu (Swine Influenza)?
Swine flu is a respiratory disease affecting pigs that is caused by type A influenzavirus. Swine influenza viruses may circulate among swine throughout the year, butmost outbreaks occur during the late fall and winter months similar to influenzaoutbreaks in humans. It causes high levels of illness but low death rates in pigs.

2. Does Swine Flu affect humans?
Swine flu viruses that cause disease in pigs very rarely affect humans. However,sporadic human infections with swine flu have occurred. Most commonly, thesecases occur in persons with direct exposure to pigs but there have also beendocumented cases of human-to-human spread of swine flu.

3. How does Swine Flu spread to humans?
Swine flu spreads to humans mainly through contact with infected pigs, which shedthe virus in their saliva, nasal secretions and faeces. Limited human-to-humantransmission can also occur in the same way as seasonal flu occurs in people.

4. Can people catch Swine Flu from eating pork (for non-muslim)?
There is currently no evidence to suggest that swine flu can be transmitted tohumans from eating pork or pork products that have been thoroughly cooked.

5. What are the symptoms of Swine Flu in humans?
The symptoms of swine flu in people are expected to be similar to the symptoms ofregular human seasonal influenza. An early symptom is high fever, and this isfollowed by cough, sore throat, runny nose, and sometimes breathlessness a fewdays later.

6. How can human infections with swine flu be diagnosed?
To diagnose swine flu, a respiratory specimen would generally need to be collectedwithin the first 4 to 5 days of illness (when an infected person is most likely to beshedding the virus). However, some persons, especially children may shed the virusfor 10 days or longer.

7. What medications are available to treat swine flu infection in humans?
There are three different antiviral drugs that are licensed for use in Malaysia for thetreatment of influenza: amantadine, oseltamivir and zanamivir. Another antiviral drug,rimantadine, is also licensed for use in the United States for the treatment ofinfluenza. While most swine flu viruses have been susceptible to all four drugs, themost recent swine flu viruses isolated from humans are resistant to amantadine andrimantadine. At this time, the US CDC recommends the use of oseltamivir (Tamiflu®)or zanamivir (Relenza®) for the treatment and/or prevention of infection with swineflu viruses.

8. What is MOH doing to ensure that the disease is not transmitted here?
MOH maintains a comprehensive and well established disease surveillance systemfor the early detection of human cases of novel influenzas such as swine flu. In addition, MOH has sent a medical alert to all medical practitioners and staff inhospitals, national centres, private medical clinics and polyclinics to update them onthe outbreak of swine flu in the USA and Mexico and to advise them to be vigilant forany suspect cases. When the situation warrants, MOH will step up public healthmeasures e.g. quarantine of contacts, issue public health advisories, and work withother government agencies to screen visitors at our border checkpoints. Further,MOH has an influenza pandemic preparedness plan in response to a pandemicsituation.

9. What should I do if I suspect I have swine flu after returning to Malaysia?
You should consult your doctor as soon as possible and inform your doctor if youhave symptoms of swine flu and had recently travelled to areas which have cases ofswine flu (currently – California, Texas and Kansas in the United States; and Mexico).

10. What should I do if I fall ill overseas?
You should consult a local doctor as soon as possible and refrain from traveling untilyou are certified fit by the doctor.

11. Does influenza vaccination help in preventing Swine Flu?
Vaccines are available to be given to pigs to prevent swine influenza. There is novaccine to protect humans from swine flu. The seasonal influenza vaccine is unlikelyto protect against H1N1 swine flu viruses.

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