Fifty years ago, before John Huston brought Richard Burton, Ava Gardner, and Deborah Kerr to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to film “The Night of The Iguana”, Vallarta was merely a sleepy little Mexican fishing village nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Madres along the shores of Banderas Bay on the Pacific Ocean. Although the population at that time was only a few thousand friendly natives, the magnificent climate and incredible scenery was so inviting that Richard Burton and Liz Taylor fell in love with the village (and each other!) and bought a couple of “getaway” homes on the hillside overlooking the city.

As of Thursday 11th June 2009, the Swine Flu has officially been declared a pandemic (an epidemic on a global scale). World Health Organization (WHO) Director-general Margaret Chan made the announcement at a news briefing held in Geneva.

Ms Chan explained that the word “pandemic” has nothing to do with fatalities or the severity of the infectious disease. It merely means the virus is now spreading globally.

This is the fourth flu pandemic to sweep the globe over the last 100 years and the first of the 21st century. The last global panic was caused by Hong Kong Flu in 1968, which claimed approximately 1 million lives.

The worst case of any flu outbreak dates back to 1918, when Spanish flu gripped the world. Spanish flu actually originated in the United States, but started to eventually attract attention when it ripped through Spain. It is estimated that Spanish Flu claimed somewhere between 20 million to 50 million lives.

The other well known influenza bug to sweep around the globe was the Asian Flu of 1957. It was first identified in China and it is estimated that 2 million people around the world died from Asian Flu.

As of June 11th 2009, the Swine Flu pandemic has infected 30,000 people from 74 countries. It has killed 144 people. Previous killer influenza diseases have gradually started off with a small wave of infections and death. Then later usually during fall and winter the second wave causes the biggest impact.

The unusual thing about the Swine Flu Pandemic is the majority of people infected have been aged between 5 and 65. Any influenza bug is usually known to effect young children and the elderly.

Anybody who has ever had the flu can tell you it is no picnic, and in some situations it happens to be life-threatening. Medical professionals want to protect society against such a sickness, so there is little case against flu shots. Every year, almost 40,000 people die of flu in the U.S. alone. Flu cases also cause about 200,000 hospitalizations, not counting the many more that stay at home sick.

Two kinds of flu vaccines exist. The traditional vaccine, which we know as the flu shot, is classified as an inactivated vaccine. Inactive vaccines contain a virus which is not alive; it is typically administered via a hypodermic needle. Flu shots can be given to anyone over six months of age in reasonable health.

The other type of vaccine is called a Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine (LAIV). LAIVs contain weakened, live viruses. The Attenuated flu shot is administered by nasal-spray; it is only approved for use in healthy people between the age of 5 and 49.

The flu shot and the flu nasal-spray vaccine both work to develop the body’s antibody defenses against the influenza strain. Antibodies are exposed to the virus in the vaccines; the antibodies then specialize themselves to attacking the invading flu. As a result, the antibodies become efficient fighting machines, lying in wait for future attacks of that influenza strain.

People are recommended by medical professionals to get a flu vaccine at least once a year. For those living in North America, the flu season generally lasts from November to April. Most people get the virus during this period, which means infections within the general populace are at its height.

Flu vaccines don’t work immediately, so it is recommended that the flu vaccine is taken prior to November. Antibodies take two weeks minimum to improve their power against a flu virus; meanwhile the individual remains at risk from the illness. Getting vaccinated during the months of September, October, and November is a good idea because of this. Don’t forget flu viruses mutate each year, so to prevent the flu, you need to get a shot of the latest vaccine at least once a year.

There may come a time in your dog’s life when he will suffer from dog flu (medically
known as the “canine influenza” virus). There are a few symptoms to watch out for:

Firstly there is the coughing. Most if not all dogs will suffer this, if not painful it will
be very uncomfortable for your dog. Young puppies and older dogs will suffer from
coughing a lot more than your average aged dog. The best thing to do at this stage
is to make sure that he has plenty of fluids and that he doesn’t over work himself in
the throat area, or he could start to feel really sorry for himself! The coughing tends
to be worse during exercise or excitement, it tends to imitate kennel cough but the
difference with dog flu is that the cough lasts a lot longer.

High fevers are another symptom to watch out for. Sometimes dogs can suffer
temperatures up to 106 degrees so if you start to notice the coughing and the fever
together make sure that you get him to the vets just to be on the safe side.
Otherwise you could be looking at a bad bout of dog flu. The fever tends to make
your dog dehydrated so again just make sure that he has lots of water and that you
give him plenty of love as he will need it, feeling so poorly!

There are other general symptoms such as runny eyes and nose, which could simply
be just a cold but its best to get it checked out especially if there are any other
symptoms. Your dog may also suffer from some depression. He will be going
through a tough and painful time so just make sure that he is as comfortable as
possible and give him lots of cuddles. A bit of tender, love and care can go a long
way!

Dog flu is highly contagious between other dogs. People are often worried about
dog flu spreading to humans but there is no evidence of this whatsoever and there
has been no claims of it either so that’s not something you have to worry about.
Something you do have to worry about however is that if dog flu is left untreated
then it may lead to Pneumonia. Dogs suffering from dog flu also have an 80%
chance of infection which is why antibiotics are usually prescribed to help them fend
it off, saving them a lot more pain and discomfort.

The incubation time for dog flu is around four weeks, after those few weeks are over
and your dogs had a good treatment of antibiotics he should be feeling fit, happy
and back to his normal self again.

Incoming search terms for the article:

• if dog has flu and fever

With the recent outbreak of the Swine Flu, dancers need to be a bit more diligent in taking the necessary precautions to prevent the swine flu from running rampant throughout our dance communities. As you all know, we come in direct contact with more people in one evening of dancing, than most people come in contact with during an entire week. Many dancers travel in dance circles that extend beyond their local dance venues traveling to out of town dance conventions and competitions.

During dance conventions and competitions, there are often hundreds of dancers, dancing with each other, touching each others hands and dancing in close proximity not only to their partner, but with many other dance couples as well. As dancers we tend to burn the candle at both ends, while holding a match to the center, so our resistance to illness can be compromised, as we are often overtired, under fed and dehydrated.

Remembering to wash your hands, or using a hand sanitizer often, and not touching your eyes, nose or mouth will tremendously help prevent spreading germs. Also try and get enough sleep, eat healthy and stay hydrated. Be sure and seek medical attention as soon as you start developing symptoms.

We must also take into account that the pros that we are often taking workshops from travel extensively, in and out of our country. If we all do our part, hopefully we will not invite the dreaded flu to join us on any of our dance floors. Extreme precaution seems to be in order with this particular strain of flu. No dancing pigs, please!

Swine Flu is actually a strand of a flu virus called H1N1. This H1N1 is a mutation of this virus. Pigs typically carry this strand. This strand generally will not kill pigs. Humans rarely contract this strand. Swine flu can not be caught by eating pork products. This strand is only contracted via air born. The current strand (2009) is assumed to have started near Mexico city at a pig farm owned by a US company. However, no pigs were have to been found in the H1N1 virus. Closed areas are places were swine flu can spread rapidly. Areas such as subways, buses, planes, office buildings are places where the H1N1 virus can spread since they are enclosed.

H1N1 strand effects people almost identically to influenza. People that may have contacted the H1N1 virus experience fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Allopathic solutions for the swine flu outbreak include Tamiflu (oseltamivir) or Relenza (zanamivir). These drugs can potentially shorten the duration of the sickness by a day. The side effects of these drugs include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, bronchitis, stomach pain, dizziness and headache. Most people make a full recovery from H1N1 without the use of any drugs at all.

Oscillococcinum is a very popular homeopathic drug that is used to shorten the duration of the regular flu virus. This drug has been proven in several trials to reduce the duration of the influenza by about 6 hours without any side effects. However, this drug has never been tested on H1N1 virus. Oscillococcinum also claims to prevent the common cold but trials have shown no evidence of prevention with this drug.

Homeopathy was used effectively in the Spanish flu outbreak in 1918. The homeopathy mortatily rate was 1%. This was much lower than the rate of death used with conventionally medicine. The homeopathic remedies used to treat this outbreak were Byronia and Gelsemium. Most cases used Gelsemiun to treat the spanish flu. These remedies are also commonly used to treat the common cold.

Contrary to popular belief, there is no vaccine for the H1N1. There is really no way to prevent people from catching the swine flu other than avoiding contact with people that have caught the disease. You can boost up your immune system by taking vitamin C, beta carotein, vitamin D and antioxidants. This help you better fight off the H1N1 virus.

For healthy individuals with strong immune systems, the swine flu is really nothing to worry about. Most people in the US that have contracted this strand have survived without any issues. The common cold has killed far more people than the swine flu has.

Make sure you’re healthy before you start traveling. If you’re embarking on a long trip, make sure your teeth are OK. If you wear glasses or contact lenses take a spare pair and your prescription. If you require a particular medication take an adequate supply, as it may not be available locally. Take the prescription or, better still, part of the packaging showing the generic rather than the brand name (which may not be locally available), as it will make getting replacements easier. It’s wise to have a legible prescription or a letter from your doctor with you to prove that you legally use the medication to avoid any problems.

Health Insurance:

A travel-insurance policy to cover theft, loss and medical problems is a wise idea. There is a wide variety of policies available and your travel agent will be able to make recommendations. The international student-travel policies handled by Harvey World Travel and other travel organizations are usually good value. Some policies offer lower and higher medical-expense options but the higher ones are chiefly for countries like the USA which have extremely high medical costs. Check the small print. Some policies specifically exclude ‘dangerous activities’, including scuba diving, motorcycling and even trekking. If such activities are on your agenda then you don’t want that sort of policy. A locally acquired motorcycle license may not be valid under your policy.

You may prefer a policy which pays doctors or hospitals direct rather than you having to pay on the spot and claim later. If you have to claim later make sure you keep all documentation. Some policies ask you to call back (reverse charges) to a centre in your home country where an immediate assessment of your problem is made.

Check if the policy covers ambulances or an emergency flight home.

Medical Kit:

It is sensible to carry a small, straightforward medical kit. A kit should include:

Aspirin or paracetamol (acetaminophen in the US) – for pain or fever.

Antihistamine (such as Benadryl) – useful as a decongestant for colds and allergies, to ease the itch from insect bites or stings and to help prevent motion sickness. There are several antihistamines on the market, all with different pros and cons (eg a tendency to cause drowsiness), so it’s worth discussing your requirements with a pharmacist or doctor. Antihistamines may cause sedation and interact with alcohol so care should be taken when using them.

Antibiotics – useful if you’re traveling well off the beaten track, but they must be prescribed and you should carry the prescription with you.

Loperamide (eg Imodium) or Lomotil for diarrhoea; prochlorperazine (eg Stemetil) or metaclopramide (eg Maxalon) for nausea and vomiting.

Rehydration mixture – for treatment of severe diarrhoea; this is particularly important if traveling with children.

Antiseptic such as povidone – iodine (eg Betadine) for cuts and grazes.

Multivitamins – especially for long trips when dietary vitamin intake may be inadequate.

Calamine lotion or aluminum sulphate spray (eg Stingose spray) to ease irritation from bites and stings.

Bandages and Band-aids – for minor injuries.

Scissors, tweezers and a thermometer (note that mercury thermometers are prohibited by airlines).

Insect repellent, sunscreen, chap stick and water purification tablets.

Cold and flu tablets and throat lozenges. Pseudoephedrine hydrochloride (Sudafed) may be useful if flying with a cold to avoid ear damage.

A couple of syringes and needles, in case you need injections in a country with medical hygiene problems. Ask your doctor for a note explaining why they have been prescribed.

Immunizations:

For some countries no immunizations are necessary, but the further off the beaten track you go the more necessary it is to take precautions. Be aware that there is often a greater risk of disease with children and in pregnancy. Leave plenty of time to get your vaccinations before you set off: some of them require an initial shot followed by a booster, and some vaccinations should not be given together. It is recommended you seek medical advice at least six weeks prior to travel.

Record all vaccinations on a International Health Certificate, which is available from your physician or government health department.

Even though the wide spread fear of the H1N1 virus has lost its momentum over the past couple of weeks there has been some fear that individuals will now stop getting vaccinated. The medical community and the news from H1N1 CDC continues to remind people to get the vaccination if you have not already done so.

There is plenty of vaccine available and you should be able to get vaccinated with little difficulty. The vaccine is effective and completely safe according to doctors and the Center for Disease Control out of Atlanta.

Most states are now reporting lower H1N1 outbreaks with the exception of Alabama where there continues to be widespread outbreaks of the flu virus. However, doctors and the medical community continue to indicate that the virus is unpredictable and that everyone should have the vaccine especially those considered to be high risk.

The virus always has the change to spike once again and individuals should guard and protect themselves and their families by having the H1N1 flu shot protection. Of course the H1N1 CDC officials will continue to monitor the situation very closely. They will continue to update the country with official information on the current status of the virus.

Over the past year the CDC has been providing information to the public concerning the H1N1 virus. This has been through news releases as well as flyer’s and brochures. This information was also made available to parents of school children and to those who are considered at high risk for complications of the virus.

Guidance and school kits were provided to school administrators with guideline on how to fight the flu and prevent the widespread infection of children in schools. The H1N1 CDC will continue to help any community that experiences a widespread outbreak of the virus.

The guidelines for coping with the H1N1 virus have remained constant for individuals. If you have the flu you should stay home and rest. Avoid contact with people so that you will not spread the virus. Drink plenty of clear fluids to avoid dehydration from the flu. Treat your fever and cough with medicines that you can purchase over the counter. These medicines should help to relieve the symptoms.

Incoming search terms for the article:

• virus and flu alabama

By now you’ve all heard of the swine flu outbreak that has started to spread around the world. To date there have only been a handful of cases in the United States and all have resolved without the use of any medication; however, there have been a few hundred cases in Mexico that unfortunately have been deadly. As seen in previous deadly outbreaks and what makes this swine flu even more ominous is that those killed ranged in ages from 20-50, a typically healthy age group. Also, the World Health Organization (WHO) recently raised its worldwide “alert level,” which it has not done since the Hong Kong pandemic in 1968, where nearly one million people died. Is this recent swine flu something that you need to be worried about? How can you protect yourself and your family?

Swine Flu vs. Seasonal Flu

Normally swine flu, as the name implies, only affects pigs. This virus, however, it seems has recently changed from its original form and therefore has “jumped” from pigs to humans. What makes this virus, named H1N1, particularly different and potentially dangerous is that it can spread from human to human.

Seasonal flu occurs every year, usually during the “cold and flu season” that usually lasts from December to March. The 2008-2009 flu season was a mild one, but like each year, it is estimated that between 250,000 to 500,000 people died from seasonal flu. What is different and worries health officials about H1N1 is that it seems to spread from human to human more quickly and easily than typical seasonal flu and because this swine flu mutated so quickly, there is no vaccine for it.

What to Watch Out for

Symptoms of swine flu are similar to regular human flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with swine flu. Also, if you or someone you know have these symptoms and have traveled to San Diego County or Imperial County, California or San Antonio, Texas within 7 days prior to the illness onset, there is reason for concern. If you have any of these symptoms, it’s a good idea to get checked by your doctor, where a nasal respiratory swab will help confirm or deny a diagnosis.

Prevention Possible

Current public health officials have recommended healthy hygiene practices to avoid the spread of swine flu. Washing of hands, getting plenty of sleep, drinking plenty of fluids and eating healthy foods are great places to start. Obviously, avoiding close contact with anyone who is sick is a no-brainer. Some research suggests that zinc and selenium might improve your body’s natural antibody response to the flu while the use of a Neti pot (nasal irrigation) prevents the virus from “setting up shop” in the nasal passages and sinuses.
Treatment After Infection?

Luckily there are plenty of things we can do to help those who unfortunately become ill. Conventionally, we know that H1N1 can be controlled with Tamiflu and/or Relenza. In addition, high doses of vitamin C, typically given intravenously, along with hydrogen peroxide can help get the virus under control.

It is yet to be determined if this current outbreak of swine flu will be as dangerous as some health officials are predicting. In the mean time, taking the appropriate measures to protect yourself and your family with a healthy dose of prevention is a great place to start.

During the Swine Flu outbreak in Mexico City, many people said we overreacted. But is that really true? After all this is a serious issue, and world health experts have been waiting and watching for the N5H1 strain to show up. And while this was a strain of the N1H1 flu, it did also have human, bird and swine components, so they very well should have been concerned. In fact, had this let lose in the middle of flu season, it could have been a lot worse.

Did they act fast enough? Did they overreact? Well, for those who believe they over reacted, yes, I understand the comments you’ve made about over-reacting, what should have been done was instant quarantine until we knew and then assess quickly and open things back up. I believe this Mexico City thing was a good practice run, but we failed miserably and that we should all take notice.

Today, there are 10,000 cases of this Swine Fly in Japan for instance now, Scotland with 1,000 plus cases, this means it is making it thru the summer months, and will hit everyone again come flu season. Indeed, I like the idea of DARPA and others working on ways to make more vaccine using alternative methods to produce them fast, then take this knowledge and give it to companies that can rapidly produce it.

We must prepare and learn from this episode and do better next time and then act accordingly when a real deadly pandemic occurs. Please consider this.

Incoming search terms for the article:

• swine flu mexico