Maryland Medical Malpractice - Swine Flu

Swine flu, also known as the Swine Influenza Virus (SIV), was first identified as a disease in pigs in 1930. Typically, swine flu is caused by the H1N1 subtype strain of the Influenza Virus A genera. This strain of the flu is believed to be a descendent of the Spanish flu, which created a pandemic in humans between 1918 and 1920. The Spanish flu affected millions of people worldwide, and many young, healthy adults died as a result of the disease. During the Spanish flu pandemic, pigs became sick as well. At first, many questioned which became sick first: humans or pigs. Later evidence suggested that humans became sick first during the Spanish flu pandemic. However, the H1N1 strain that resulted in the Spanish flu pandemic remained in pigs and later came to be recognized as the general cause of the flu virus in swine. While the H1N1 subtype is the most common strain of the swine flu virus, between 1997 and 2002 new strains of swine flu surfaced.

It has been estimated that up to 100 million people across the globe died as a result of the Spanish flu and approximately half of the world was affected by the virus. Unfortunately, 1918 was not the only year that the world faced a flu pandemic. Serious flu outbreaks also occurred in 1957 and 1968. In 1957, the Asian flu was responsible for approximately 70,000 deaths in the U.S. alone. In 1968, the Hong Kong flu claimed approximately 36,000 lives in the U.S. Worldwide, the Asian flu killed approximately 2 million people and approximately 1 million died as a result of the Hong Kong flu. While 1918, 1957, and 1968 saw the outbreak of flu pandemics, typically the flu does not have such devastating affects. According to statistics, approximately one billion cases of the flu occur each year worldwide, and up to 50 million of these cases occur in the U.S. Annually, between 300,000 and 500,000 people worldwide die annually as a result of the flu, with the U.S. accounting for 30,000-40,000 of these deaths.

Swine flu is a type of influenza that causes sickness in people. The virus is referred to as swine flu because some of the genes found in the influenza strain are similar to those found in the flu virus that normally occurs in swine. Swine flu causes many of the same symptoms as seasonal influenza, for which most people obtain basic flu shots. Symptoms include headache, body aches, fever, coughing, and sore throat. Some cases of swine flu have been accompanied by vomiting and diarrhea. In order to determine if an individual has contracted swine flu, a doctor will need to perform laboratory tests. While most cases of swine flu in humans has occurred among those working closely with pigs, the 2009 swine flu strain is occurring in those with little or no contact with swine.

The swine flu outbreak in 2009 is not the only time the United States has dealt with the swine flu virus. In 1976, an army recruit at Fort Dix died from swine flu. According to reports, the 1976 swine flu outbreak did not spread beyond Fort Dix and only 230 were affected by the virus. This virus failed to turn into a pandemic as predicted. However, a vaccination program was instituted and many were sickened as a result of the vaccination itself. Approximately 500 people developed Guillain-Barre syndrome and approximately 25 people died as a result of the vaccination.

While the 2009 swine flu epidemic has not yet become a pandemic, there are steps people can take to protect themselves from swine flu. One of the simplest preventative measures is proper hand washing. Individuals are encouraged to cover both the mouth and nose when sneezing and stay away from those that are sick. Individuals experiencing flu-like symptoms should stay at home and make an appointment with their healthcare provider for further evaluation and follow up.

Individuals that are experiencing symptoms of swine flu or other serious medical conditions and feel their healthcare provider has failed to diagnose their condition may contact Robinson and Associates for further guidance. Failure to diagnose any serious medical condition can lead to delayed or improper treatment, which can have serious repercussions on the health of the affected individual.

Maryland Medical Malpractice - Swine Flu

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