Influenza A, H1N1 Swine Flu

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Influenza A, H1N1 Swine Flu

• The Facts and How to Protect Yourself

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What is Influenza A, H1N1 Swine Flu?

• Swine influenza is a respiratory disease of pigs
  caused by a virus. It regularly causes outbreaks
  of influenza among pigs
• Influenza A, H1N1 swine flu is a new strain of
  the flu that moved from pigs to humans and can be
  transmitted from human to human.

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Influenza A, H1N1 (swine flu)

• Swine flu is different from seasonal flu because
• It is a new strain of the virus
• Humans do not have an immunity from it
• Immunizations received last fall or this winter
  do not offer protection against the H1N1 swine flu

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How Does It Spread?

• Thought to be spread in the same way that
  seasonal flu spreads
• Mainly from person to person when an infected
  person coughs or sneezes and spreads tiny
  particles into the air
• Sometimes by touching something with flu viruses
  on it, and then touching the mouth, nose or eyes

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What Can You Do to Protect Yourself and Others?

• Frequently wash your hands with soap and water
  for 15-20 seconds
• Alcohol-based hand cleaners are OK
• Cover your coughs and sneezes by coughing and
  sneezing into your arm, not your hands. Or,
  sneeze into a tissue and discard it
• Avoid touching your nose, eyes and mouth
• Try to avoid close contact with people who appear
  sick, and have a fever and cough

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What Can You Do to Protect Yourself and Others?
Cont.

• If you are sick, stay home
• If your child is ill, keep them home from school
  or childcare
• Practice good health habits get enough sleep,
  eat nutritious food, keep physically active
• If you smoke, quit.

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What are Signs and Symptoms of the Flu?

• Similar to symptoms of regular human flu
• Fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache,
  chills and fatigue
• May include diarrhea and vomiting
• May cause more serious symptoms in individuals
  with chronic medical conditions
• Pneumonia, respiratory failure, and deaths have
  been reported.

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How Long Can an Infected Person Spread it to
Others?

• People are contagious as long as they have
  symptoms, and
• up to 7 days after they become sick
• Children, especially infants, may be contagious
  for longer periods
• Viruses can live 2 hours or longer on surfaces
  like tables, desks, and doorknobs.

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What To Do If You Get Sick

• If you have symptoms
• Fever, body aches, runny nose, sore throat,
  nausea, or vomiting or diarrhea
• And you would typically see your health care
  provider, do so.
• If you have these symptoms but would not normally
  see your health care provider, there is no need
  to do so
• Stay home and avoid contact with others as much
  as possible

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What To Do ifYour Child is Sick

• If your child has these symptoms, seek immediate
  medical care
• Fast breathing or trouble breathing
• Bluish skin color
• Not drinking enough fluids
• Not waking up or not interacting
• Being so irritable that the child does not want
  to be held
• Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with
  fever and worse cough
• Fever with a rash.

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What Should Businesses Do?

• Review your sick leave policy and urge employees
  not to come to work when ill
• Review plans for continuing business operations,
  in the event the flu becomes more widespread or
  severe
• Encourage everyone to wash their hands
  frequently, and to cover their coughs and
  sneezes.

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What is Safe To Do?

• If you feel well, you may work, go to school or
  send you your child to school, go to church, and
  shop
• Eat pork
• Travel by bus, train or plane
• Travel to Mexico is recommended for essential
  business only

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What More Can I Do To Prepare?

• Develop a family emergency plan as a precaution,
  include
• Storing a supply of food
• Medicines
• Facemasks
• Alcohol-based hand cleaners
• Other essential supplies
• For an emergency checklist, see
  www.pandemicflu.gov

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What are Local Public Health Officials doing?

• Working with hospitals and health care providers
  to promptly identify potential cases of swine flu
• Assuring that appropriate treatment and
  prevention measures are used
• Developing fact sheets for pharmacies, schools,
  the general public, and health care providers.

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Where Can I Get More Information?

• Information Lines
• Inside Clark County [phone]
• Outside Clark County [phone]
• Clark County Public Health
• www.clark.wa.gov/public-health/diseases/swinefaq.h
  tml
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• http//www.cdc.gov/