Virus Information
H1N1 Swine Flu Virus Facts

H1N1 swine flu virus
Photo courtesy of CDC

Here is some virus information to help you get started:

• What is a flu virus? - Are there other kinds of viruses?

• What is the swine flu? - Where did it come from, and what makes it unique?

• Intestinal Flu or Stomach Flu - How can you tell the difference between H1N1 swine flu and stomach flu? What is the stomach flu duration? What are stomach flu symptoms? Is stomach flu contagious? What about stomach flu in kids? View a video with Dr. David Hill on stomach flu treatment.

• Strept throat - What are the symptoms of strep throat? Is there a simple treatment for strep throat? What about home remedies for strep throat? Are there complications from having an untreated strep throat? And most people wonder, Is strep throat contagious?

• What is bird or avian flu? - Is the avian flu still a threat? Are scientists still studying the bird flu?

• Cytokine storm - A cytokine storm is what many scientists believe killed so many people in the 1918 influenza pandemic. This overactive immune reaction is most likely to occur in young, healthy people.

• What is the seasonal flu? - What makes the seasonal flu different from a flu pandemic ? Here is some information about viruses to help you decide.

• What is the difference between a flu pandemic and an epidemic? - Which one is more serious? How do scientists decide which term to use? Are they inter-changable?

• What does the WHO pandemic alert mean? - What are the levels and what do they mean? What is the current WHO Pandemic Alert Phase? Why did WHO raise the pandemic alert level? What Do Pandemic Phases Really Mean?

• Superbug or Not? - Is the swine flu a joke, a hoax? Or does it pose a real threat?

• How is the virulence of a virus measured? - How do scientists measure how serious a flu outbreak will be? Can they predict how deadly it will be in the future?

While the answers to the questions above can get very complicated and complex, I have tried to simplify the answers so that everyone, especially those without a medical background, can understand them. Only credible, scientific sources were used for the information.

If you have a specific question about someone in your family, you can ask your question at doctors online advice . Your question will be answered by a legitimate physician, often a specialist. Usually you'll have an answer within minutes--something to keep in mind, even if it just gives you peace of mind!

I hope these virus facts will help you to understand the current swine flu pandemic situation, and help you to make good decisions for your family's Flu Pandemic Preparedness.

H1N1 Flu Virus

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