Seasonal Flu vs Swine Flu

With all the changes in our world like climate change, pollution, and other human developments that have brought both benefits and disadvantages to everyone’s situation and health, influenza in just another of those things to affect us. As the seasons pass, so do the flu seasons and the medical sciences have been able to create different kinds of vaccines to try to solve the influenza problem. But the flu virus has been able to adapt in some other countries, taking on an antigenic drift and mutating into far more deadly forms from which we have little immunity.

With the evolution of the swine flu, or the H1N1 strain that had its origins in Asia, many people around the world are already suffering its deadly journey as it passes from person to person. Here are some differences between the normal seasonal flu that we experience regularly and the deadly swine flu that seems to be taking the world by storm.

Origin

The regular flu that we experience is passed on from person to person with its origins being mainly from humans and with its mutations, which are just slight, and affecting those whose immune systems are weaker at that particular moment. The swine flu, originating in Asia where there are lots of livestock raising in rural areas and less controls on livestock health, is an antigenic shift, which involves far more than human transmission. In fact, the N1H1 strain includes bird and pig flu components aside from the human component. Several years ago the big scare around the world was the bird flu, or the H5N1 strain that mutated and originated from birds.

Human Natural Immunity

With the regular flu, one gets the virus and will become sick for a few days, which gradually will leave with medication, lots of water and rest. Basically, humans will develop some kind of naturally occurring immunity towards the seasonal flu. With the new strain that has made it into our society, there is no naturally occurring immunity for the mutated form. Because it is a mutated strain that originated from an animal, like birds and pigs, there is no natural immunity that occurs in human against it because it never originated from humans in the first place. The original transmission of swine flu was in pigs and this strain was transmitted pig-to-pig. Once it transmitted to humans at some point, there were no natural defenses that humans could put up against a strain that primarily attacks animals.

So when you get a seasonal flu, the influenza strain we are used to basically takes on an antigenic shift which is only a slight change from the original strain of influenza that affects humans. So it only mutates slightly to a form that can attack other humans whose immune systems are down. With N1H1, the influenza has taken on an antigenic drift, which means it has completely changed in genetic make-up and becomes a totally new disease. This is why humans display no natural immunity to it at all.

Predictability

Seasonal flu is basically an annual event that hits those whose immune systems are not at their peak with the Influenza Type A virus. This undergoes antigenic shifts annually and scientists have been able to make predictable studies in order to change flu vaccines annually to deal with the flu’s upcoming strain. With N1H1, since it went under an antigenic drift, scientists were not prepared for the complete mutation and were therefore not able to predict the change. This resulted in not having an N1H1 flu vaccine available when the first attacks happened.

Human Susceptibility

When the seasonal Influenza Type A virus hits, it is usually caught by people who are fatigued, and those that have weaker immune systems due to stress or less-than-perfect health. Which is why the best prevention for Influenza Type A virus is to keep healthy and active. With the current swine flu, its victims have no choice of whether or not to avoid it. N1H1 attacks all kinds of people, even healthy teenagers and adults. Unlike the Influenza Type A virus where one can reduce the risk of having it transmitted to them by practicing a healthy lifestyle and diet, the N1H1 strain is not selective and will affect the healthiest people of the lot. In fact, studies have shown that the swine flu has mainly affected those members of society under the age of 25. The Center for Disease Control has found that in the U.S. alone there have been more than 477 deaths because of the N1H1 strain. On the international scale 177,457 have caught the virus and there have been at least 1,462 deaths. Amazingly, those people over the age of 64 have more immunity than the younger generation.

For seasonal flu the higher risk groups who are susceptible to infection are diabetics, asthmatics, pregnant women, those with a heart or kidney disease, children under 2 years old and people over the age of 65.

H1N1 or swine flu tends to affect people under the age of 25, and surprisingly has little effect on adults over the age of 65 since they already seem to have created antibodies that fight the disease. Similar to seasonal flu symptoms, H1N1 will cause these symptoms to escalate and there is greater risk of complications and even death when dealing with this kind of flu.

Respiratory functions are highly affected so children are very susceptible to N1H1. The groups with a higher risk, aside from young people, are pregnant women, those with kidney and heart disease, asthmatics, diabetics, people with neurocognitive diseases like HIV and Alzheimers, and also people with suppresses immune systems. Young children are especially at risk

Symptoms

As you all know, symptoms of seasonal flu is a mixture of a runny nose, dry cough, sore throat, body and joint aches, excessive fatigue, headaches and body temperatures reaching to as high as 100 degrees. These are basically a more extreme version of the common cold that we are used to. The swine flu symptoms are almost the same as the seasonal flu symptoms except they are more intense and patients will also experience a bout of vomiting and diarrhea along with the regular influenza symptoms.

Those catching the seasonal flu may come across complications. These complications are usually sinus infections, bacterial pneumonia, ear infections, increased aggravation of existing and chronic medical conditions, and dehydration. People suffering with seasonal flu and get complications should be hospitalized and treated accordingly to avoid death.

Since children are more susceptible to both seasonal flu and N1H1, it is important to be observant of symptoms in young one. Certain symptoms should alert parents to seek emergency care for their children if the following happen: your child has difficulty breathing and gets bluish lips or skin. Another is if your child is extremely irritable and doesn’t want to be held. The child will not be able to cry tears or urinate due to extreme dehydration due to diarrhea and vomiting. The child may even avoid taking any liquids or eating just to keep from vomiting. Having a high fever is another symptom, and a fever with rash may even develop.

For adults, emergency care should be resorted to if they have difficulty breathing, feel pain in the chest or abdomen, and develop purple lips or bluish skin. As the flu symptoms worsen adults may become dizzy and disoriented. Dehydration is another symptom especially if the adult experiences vomiting or diarrhea. Dehydration symptoms are the inability to urinate or the inability to produce tears.

Prevention

Seasonal flu and N1H1 can both be prevented by keeping hands germ-free with frequent washing. Alcohol-based products that you rub on your hands are not enough to keep germs away. Influenza is primarily airborne and will enter your system via your nose and mouth’s mucous membranes. So keep germ-free by keeping hands germ-free since everyone has the tendency to touch their faces.

Other ways that you can prevent yourself from catching either seasonal or N1H1 are to cover your mouth and nose with tissue when coughing and sneezing and disposing of the tissue properly. Also, avoid touching your face, especially your nose and your mouth to prevent the transmission of germs to your mucous membranes. In the event that you do get sick, stay at home to recuperate and to prevent further spread. When you get sick, visit your doctor and make sure that you get the proper medication for your symptoms.

Vaccines are always available to prevent seasonal influenza, however, for N1H1 the story is different. Since this is a completely new virus there is still research that is ongoing to find a complete cure and prevention for the virus. In its testing stages there are probably one or two vaccines available for testing, but for now the best treatment is prevention. If you do feel that you are coming down with a flu, taking a strong medicine like Tamiflu may be a great option to rid of the virus before it turns into something bigger. Early detection and treatment also works for N1H1 for many.

With the unnerving developments in new viruses affecting our populations, it is always best to try to follow the advisories that are given to the public by the government and medical institutions. Also, following simple prevention methods may draw the line between actually catching N1H1 and ending up in the hospital suffering from an almost incurable type of flu. So be prudent by keeping updated on flu prevention and information on influenza cures and breakthroughs to help you and your family stay healthy and safe.