True Colors of Malaysia

Dear fellow readers,
I have received an email with some facts about the the swine virus issued by Singapore’s Raffles Medical Group. Please read:

The Swine Influenza Virus Present Situation

The Ministry of Health is monitoring the situation closely and will update the public should there be any new developments. Meanwhile, border screening has been implemented At Changi Airport for all flights coming in from affected countries. There are currently no known cases of human swine flu in Singapore as advised by MOH. MOH has informed all healthcare practitioners of the outbreak of human swine flu and urged them to be vigilant for any suspect cases during this period.

This virus has currently affected citizens in the following countries: namely USA, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, Australia and Middle East. Human deaths are recorded in Mexico only.

Background on this virus

Swine influenza, or “swine flu”, is a highly contagious acute respiratory disease of pigs, caused by one of several swine influenza A viruses. This virus is usually in the H1N1 subtype, but other subtypes are also circulating in pigs. The current virus is multi-strained and resistant to anti-viral drugs.

Transmission Method

The virus spreads among pigs by aerosols, direct or indirect contact and asymptomatic carrier pigs. Many countries routinely vaccinate swine populations against swine influenza. Outbreaks occur throughout the year with an increased incidence in the fall and winter in temperate zones.
People usually get swine influenza from infected pigs, however, some human cases lack contact history with pigs or environments where pigs have been
located. Human-to-human transmission has occurred in some instances but was limited to close contacts and closed groups of people. It is safe to eat pork and pork products from infected pigs as the virus is killed by cooking temperature (usually about 70 degrees Celsius).

Symptoms On Infection

Symptoms of swine flu in humans are similar to that of regular human seasonal flu. An early symptom is having a high fever, and this can be associated with cough, sore throat, breathlessness and severe body aches.

Treatment

Anti-viral drugs may be administered by the medical practitioner for treatment of all probable cases. There are also no vaccines against the swine influenza virus but the seasonal influenza vaccine is recommended. Anybody who is unwell should see a doctor immediately.