Disease of swine influenza infection in the United States and Mexico recently to attract the international community, including the Indonesian government that directly improve and strengthen disease surveillance, control traffic in the air and seaports to anticipate the distribution.

Swine influenza, or “swine flu” is the first disease is acute respiration on the spread of swine caused by a swine influenza viruses, including influenza virus type A subtipe H1N1, H1N2, H3N1, H3N2.

Figures pain due to infection of the virus spread among pigs through the air with both contact directly and indirectly with the swine virus is likely to cause high on the pig population but the mortality rate due to this disease is low, between one percent to four percent.

Swine flu outbreak in the animal population is generally increasing throughout the year with events in the autumn and cold.

In addition to pigs infected with influenza virus type A subtipe H1N1, pigs can also be infected with avian influenza virus H5N1 (bird flu) virus and seasonal influenza or influenza viruses that normally attack people. Sometimes even pigs can also be infected by more than one type of virus in one time.

Condition that allows the virus-the virus mixed with each other and create a new strain of virus from several sources (reassortant virus). This is, among other swine flu virus to create a specific and normally only menginfeksi pigs can sometimes limit species penetrate and cause illness in humans.

Gen. extraordinary disease of swine influenza infection in humans have been reported several times occur. Human flu are usually contagious from pigs and pork, even though very few, of the person associated with the infected pigs or pig farming environment.

Cases of swine flu from human to human occurs alone in some cases but is still limited to close contacts and a group of people only.

Until this time there is no evidence that indicates that the swine flu spread through food, in this case and pork products in the turunannya and cooked properly, so stay safe mengonsumsi products.

In addition, the swine influenza virus die if cooked at a temperature of 70 C derajad, in accordance with the general process of meat.

Symptoms of swine flu in humans are generally similar to the symptoms of influenza virus infection that usually attacks the human fever more than 37.8 centigrade derajad, sore throat, cough, runny nose, headache and pain.

Typical clinical presentation of swine flu infection in humans similar to inluenza common respiratory tract infections and on the other make the most of the case is not detected from the influenza surveillance, so that occurrence of disease in humans is not known globally.

Preventive action, among others, could do with avoiding contact with people who are sick, cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, washing hands with soap and water, as much as possible avoid contact with others during flu and seek medical help if severe pain to get treatment .

The risk of pandemic

All people, especially those who do not regularly make contact with pigs, does not have immunity against swine influenza virus can prevent viral infection of pigs so that if the virus becomes infectious virus efficiently from human to human then the potential to cause pandemic influenza.

However, according to the WHO in its impact is still difficult to predict, depending on the virus of violence, the human body immunity, protection by antibody cross-needed body of influenza infection and seasonal factors wet nurse.

While the vaccine can protect people from flu virus infection of pigs up to now have not yet.

Influenza vaccine that is normal at this time was not yet evident efektifitasnya in providing protection against influenza infection of pigs.

WHO relations with all of the various institutions still continue to do research to find out the effectiveness of the vaccine in the prevention of swine flu.

Handling cases influenza can be done with the antiviral drugs for influenza disease that usually consists of two classes of adamantane (amantadine and remantadine), and neuraminidase influenza inhibitor (oseltamivir and zanamivir).

But the WHO says has not yet enough information to make recommendations about the use of antiviral drugs in the prevention and handling of swine flu infection.

According to the organization, klinisi must make decisions based on clinical assessment and by taking advantage epidemiologis and the danger of using antiviral drugs as prophylaxis or treatment for the patient.

Flu outbreak in pigs in the United States and Mexico, local authorities recommend the use of oseltamivir and zanamivir for the prevention and treatment, but such cases of swine flu were reported there recently can generally be cured without any special medical needs and the provision of certain antiviral drugs.

Are swine flu?
Swine flu is a respiratory disease that infect pigs. Caused by influenza type A, outbreaks of disease in pigs occurred regularly with high-level cases but rarely to be fatal. This disease tends to infecting in spring and winter but the cycle is a year-round. There are many types of flu and swine flu in humans as this disease is constantly changing.

What can people infected swine flu?
Swine flu does not usually creep in humans, although sporadic cases also occur and are usually associated with pigs. Notes on cases of transmission from human to human is also very rare. Human transmission of swine flu in humans is estimated to spread like seasonal flu – through coughing and sneezing. In the present outbreak occurred is not yet clear whether the disease is transmitted from human to human. Symptoms of swine flu in humans appears similar to the symptoms of seasonal human flu.

Is this a new type of swine flu?
The World Health Organization, WHO, confirming that at least some cases is a version of H1N1 influenza A type that never existed. H1N1 is the virus that causes seasonal flu in humans on a regular basis. However, most new versions of H1N1 is different: the virus load is typical of the genetic material found in viruses that infect humans, birds and pigs. Flu virus has the ability to exchange genetic component to one another, and likely a new version of H1N1 is the result of the combination of various different versions of the virus that occurred in one animal source.

Is it safe to eat pork?
Yes. There is no evidence of swine flu spread through the consumption of meat of infected animals. However, the meat must be cooked well-done, the temperature 70 Celsius will kill the virus. 

Whether citizens should be worried?
When shown a new type of flu that has the ability to spread from human human authorities mengawai carefully to see if the cause has the potential pandemic. WHO warns of cases in Mexico and the United States can potentially cause a global pandemic and affirm this situation seriously. However, the WHO says is still too early to assess the situation accurately. Currently, the WHO says the situation is almost approaching the pandemic flu than the years since 1968 – is a three-level ancamannya scale of six.

No one knows the impact of pandemic disease fully, but experts warn the victim died can reach millions of people around the world. Spanish flu pandemic, which began in 1819 and also caused by the H1N1 virus, killing millions of people.

The fact that the cases in the United States so far showed symptoms of light is good news. While the outbreaks in Mexico parahnya likely caused by factors that are not always the small possibility that occurred in other regions of the world. However, the fact that most of the young victims of a show that does not baisa. Seasonal flu usually tend to engulf the old age.

How about the treatment and vaccine?
United States government says the two drugs used to treat flu, Tamiflu and Relenza, seems effective in the cases that occurred so far. Uncertain effectiveness of flu vaccine that is now there to protect people from this new virus, because the genetic type of flu is different from the others. United States scientists have developed a new vaccine, but needed time to refine and produces in the amount sufficient to meet demand.

How about the bird flu?
Type of bird flu that causes death in Southeast Asia in recent years is different from the type of flu that is now infecting pigs. New forms of swine flu is a new type of H1N1, while bird flu is H5N1.
Experts fear H5N1 as a potential cause pendemi ability bermutasi quickly.
But until now the disease is still a bird disease. Those infected are those associated with poultry and cases of transmission from human to human is very rare – there are no signs that H5N1 can spread from human to human easily.