Health Journal Entry

Swine Flu Spreads, But Worries Ease (May 11, 2009)

Despite the fact that the swine flu outbreak kept spreading, worries about the outbreak eased up this week after it appeared to be milder than health officials had feared. As a result, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) relaxed its safety guidelines. It advised U.S. schools to stay open unless there were enough cases to disrupt instruction. Last week, it urged schools with only one case of the flu to shut down for two weeks.

The number of swine flu cases rose sharply this week. More than 2,200 cases were confirmed in the United States with two deaths. Worldwide, there were over 4,500 cases in 29 countries. About 1,600 of these were in Mexico, where 48 people died. Mexico called off some Cinco de Mayo (5th of May) celebrations as it struggled to bring the outbreak under control.

Swine flu is a respiratory disease caused by a type A flu virus. The version of the virus causing the outbreak appears to be a new strain that most people have no immunity to. Scientists say it contains an unusual mix of genes from pig, bird, and human flu viruses. The pig virus genes are a combination of European and North American strains.

Normally, people in regular contact with pigs are the ones most likely to get sick. That's not the case in the current outbreak, which is spreading from person to person contact. It spreads from coughing, sneezing, or touching a contaminated object. The symptoms of swine flu, like other types of flu, include fever, cough, sore throat, body and headaches, and chills. But in some cases, it can cause more serious symptoms.

To learn more about the outbreak, do this Planet Diary classroom activity Swine Flu: The Start of an Epidemic.