Swine flu is a respiratory disease, caused by influenza type A which infects pigs. There are many types, and the infection is constantly changing. Until now it has not normally infected humans, but the latest form clearly does, and can be spread from person to person – probably through coughing and sneezing. Symptoms of swine flu in humans appear to be similar to those produced by standard flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, chills and fatigue. Most cases so far reported around the world appear to be mild, but in Mexico lives have been lost.
Whilst there are at the time of writing no confirmed cases of the new flu strain in the UK, the Department of Health has issued the following advice:
“It is always good practice to follow respiratory and hand hygiene such as:
- Covering your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, using a tissue when possible.
- Disposing of dirty tissues promptly and carefully.
- Maintaining good basic hygiene, for example washing hands frequently with soap and water to reduce the spread of the virus from your hands to face or to other people.
- Cleaning hard surfaces (e.g. door handles) frequently using a normal cleaning product.
- Making sure your children follow this advice.
- Travellers to affected areas are advised to consult a doctor immediately if they show signs of flu-like symptoms.”
In the meantime, it would be very wise for schools and organisations to re-iterate the importance of hand hygiene and to ensure that wash basins are stocked with soap and towels to allow people to clean their hands effectively. It would probably be a good idea to get a sign up in the wash rooms to remind people of how to clean their hands as well.
My blog on 24th October 2008 referred to a hand-washing and hygiene workshop carried out in a local school. This exercise would be useful right now to ensure that staff and children understand the extreme importance of hand hygiene as a preventive measure against this epidemic.
The HPA campaign “Catch it, bin it, kill it” has good materials including a useful poster.
Finally, is it safe to eat pig meat? Yes. There is no evidence that swine flu can be transmitted through eating meat from infected animals but normal food safety procedures need to be followed to cook meat properly. A core temperature of 75C should be reached, which will kill the virus and other bacteria normally associated with pork and pork products.
