The swine flu, pictured here, or Influenza H1N1, is starting to make a comeback in Britain. Image from Wikimedia Commons.
The influenza strain referred to as the swine flu is starting to make a resurgence, especially in Great Britain. The swine flu, or Influenza H1N1, is a strain of the common flu virus that was tipped as the next great killer epidemic. There have been deaths from the virus, but fewer than anticipated.
British Isles suffers winter outbreak of swine flu
In the past few months, Great Britain has been seeing cases of people getting infected with the swine flu and a few deaths from the disease. Swine flu has been responsible for a few thousand deaths in the last few years, but far fewer than the number caused by normal outbreaks of influenza. However, the swine flu strain is beginning to rebound, as 14 people have died from the disease in England since October, according to the Daily Mail. All fatalities were under 65 years of age and six were under 18. The most common factor in all deaths from swine flu, just as in last year’s pandemic, were underlying conditions such as diabetes or asthma.
Swine flu affects people differently
Swine flu, or H1N1 Influenza, is a little different than the typical annual strains that spread during flu season. Swine flu affects adults and teenagers worse than other age groups, which is not typical for influenza. There are usually a few hundred thousand deaths per year from influenza, mostly among young children and the elderly. Those with already compromised immune systems are also at risk. The 2009 swine flu only resulted in less than 20,000 deaths worldwide, less than 10 percent of typical annual deaths from influenza, according to Wikipedia.
Pandemic over
In 2009, swine flu was declared a pandemic by health organizations, such as the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control. A swine flu vaccine was supposed to be ready in huge numbers, but production faltered and many compared the 2009 outbreak to the 1976 swine flu outbreak, which was thought to be a panic over nothing.
Sources
Daily Mail
