Ministry of Health

What is swine influenza?

Swine Influenza (swine flu) is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by influenza viruses. Outbreaks of swine flu
happen regularly in pigs. People do not normally get swine flu, but human
infections can and do happen. Most commonly, human cases of swine flu happen in
people who are around pigs but it’s possible for swine flu viruses to spread
from person to person also.

How serious is the new Swine Flu Infection?

Like seasonal flu, swine flu in human can
vary in severity from mild to severe. The current outbreak is of a new Swine
Flu virus strain and has the potential for causing serious illness. In Mexico a
number of cases and deaths have been reported.

What are the signs and symptoms of swine flu in people?

The symptoms of swine flu in people are similar to the symptoms of regular seasonal flu. These include: fever, cough,
sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have
reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with swine flu. In the past, severe
illness, such as pneumonia and respiratory failure, and deaths due to Swine Flu
has been reported.

How do you catch swine flu?

Spread of swine flu can occur in two ways:

Through contact with infected pigs or
environments contaminated with swine   flu viruses.

2. Through contact with a person with swine
flu. Human-to-human spread of swine flu has been documented also and is thought to occur in the same way as seasonal flu.

person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected
people. More details on Swine Influenza and Fact Sheets.