Swine influenza, also called pig influenza or swine flu, is a dangerous infection by any one of the several types of swine influenza viruses. The swine influenza virus is any strain of the influenza family of viruses that is endemic in pigs. More often than not, swine influenza virus is common throughout pig populations worldwide. The transmission of the virus to humans is not common and it does not always lead to human influenza. Still, if the virus is passed on from pigs to humans, the swine flu symptoms in humans are similar to those of the regular influenza, namely chills, fever, sore throat, muscle pains, severe headaches, coughing, weakness and general discomfort.
During the 2009 outbreak, people who have been experiencing swine flu symptoms, have also reported diarrhea and vomiting as swine flu symptoms. The 2009 H1N1 virus is not swine flu, as it is not transmitted from pigs to humans, but from person to person. One of the most common swine flu symptoms is respiratory failure. Other causes of death of people who have been found with the characteristics of swine flu symptoms, are pneumonia, very high fever, dehydration from excessive vomiting and diarrhea, kidney failure and electrolyte imbalance. These fatal swine flu symptoms are most likely to happen in children and elder people, because their immune system is not sufficiently developed.
However, there are three ways of preventing the appearance of swine flu symptoms: prevention in swine, that includes vaccination, herd management and control strategies, prevention of transmission to humans. The swine flu symptoms transmitted from pig to human can be prevented by using a mask, especially when dealing with infected animals. Last but not least, another way of preventing from the swine flu symptoms being transmitted from human to human is to use standard infection control, which includes frequent washing of hands with soap and water or with alcohol based hand sanitizers, especially after being out in public. In terms of treatment, if the swine flu symptoms break out, the antiviral drugs can make the illness milder and make the patient feel better and faster.
![[Facebook]](http://www.swineflusymptoms.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/facebook.png)
![[Twitter]](http://www.swineflusymptoms.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/twitter.png)


