Swine Flu: The Pandemic of 21st Century

With 10 deaths reported so far, India is in the grip of the swine flu fear factor. At times like these, what is of utmost importance is proper information to dispel panic reaction. With some people covering their faces with handkerchiefs, dupattas or masks, the fear of swine flu was clear in buses, trains and in public places in many cities.

Swine flu is a respiratory disease which infects pigs. It caused by a strain of the influenza virus known as H1N1. Although the strain may have originated in pigs, it is now a wholly human disease and is being transmitted person-to-person. Human to human transmission of swine flu thought to spread in the same way as seasonal flu – through coughing and sneezing.

Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad insisted that the situation was under control, government has sufficient stock of Tamiflu and the toll far less as compared with other affected countries in West.

What precautions can you take against swine flu?

Is the Indian government machinery adequately prepared to tackle the H1N1 virus?