The swine flu virus has been an old familiar in animal health since its discovery in 1918, since the first cases of the virus were detected in humans in the UK.
The swine flu virus, now a hot topic after the first human case was detected in the UK, is an old familiar in animal health since it was discovered in 1918, although it spreads easily among pigs. Its pathogenic potential in animals and humans is mild, It rarely becomes infected.
This is the current evolution of the disease as reflected by the World Organization for Animal Health (WHO), which, like other influenzas, being closely monitored Health authorities detect new strains or recombinations that may make it easier to jump between species or ultimately become more virulent.
British case no alert to experts In fact, Patricia Guillem, professor of epidemiology, public health and preventive medicine at the European University of Valencia, told Efeagro that the information provided is relevant more because it was first discovered in the United States. Kingdom, because the focus “is” on respiratory diseases because they are “everywhere.”
He said that now we tend to “worry about the evolution of the Chinese pneumonia or the Spanish flu” and “any respiratory pathogens, even non-respiratory pathogens, will make us vigilant after the new coronavirus pandemic.” ..
outbreak
In fact, he recalled that epidemics periodically break out in the world, such as those in 2005 and 2009, which also affected humans.
That incident in 2009 was one of those Gaining more media due to its global expansion and its effects, even to a certain extent lethal to humans, although health authorities have concluded that this is a new type of influenza and not swine flu, as the variants found are human, avian, swine flu strains of reorganization. Swine flu in the United States and Europe.
Anyway, this is Variants of the A/H1N1 virus The virus found in the UK is from the H1N2 strain, both of which are known to science.
Gilliam noted that influenza viruses are the most mutating viruses, which is why, for humans, seasonal flu vaccines are adjusted every year.
sporadic infections in humans
According to the World Health Organization, human infections, such as the one now found in the United Kingdom, are occasionally reported with swine flu viruses, but human-to-human transmission is rare.
They are usually people who have had direct contact with infected pigs (usually farmers, transporters or veterinarians) and the clinical presentation is similar to seasonal influenza.
Additionally, this virus is not spread through food, so the risk of contracting it from eating pork or other pork products is negligible.
For all these reasons, the main consequence of a swine flu outbreak is damage to farms because, according to the World Health Organization, when the swine flu virus takes hold on a farm, it is difficult to eradicate it.
It was therefore necessary, in addition to the usual trade restrictions imposed, to choose to sacrifice cattle and suffer the resulting economic losses.