Swine Flu Alert  Part II

     In this installment I would like to cover some of the truth about what the "Swine Flu" actually is and how you may be affected by it.
 
     The 2009 H1N1 influenza virus is commonly referred to as the swine flu. It was first detected in the U.S. in April of 2009. In June of 2009 the World Health Organization (WHO) announced a pandemic. The reason that this strain of flu virus was referred to as the "Swine Flu" is because the genes in this virus are similar to those normally found in an influenza virus normally found in pigs in North America. There are some who have indicated that this variation may have been caused by the current "Industrial Farming" techniques practiced today in this country where hundreds if not thousands of animals are packed into confined feed lots. This creates the perfect breeding grounds, according to some, for disease and virus mutation. That is a subject for a future article. This "Swine Flu" strain also contains two other genes that come from pigs in Europe and Asia, along with a bird gene and human genes. There are some who believe that the likelihood of this combination of different genes is so unlikely to have occurred on its own that it had to be created in a lab and then either accidentally or intentionally released. That one my friends I will leave up to those conspiracy theorists who are still debating the Kennedy assassination. For now, as Jack Webb used to say, (now I am really dating myself) "Just the facts please." So let's stick to them. This combination of viral strains is referred to by researchers as a "quadruple reassortant" virus.
 
     Human infections with the new (and improved) H1N1 virus are ongoing in the U.S. According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control in Washington, D.C.) "Most people who have become ill with this new virus have recovered without requiring medical treatment." The virus is contagious from human to human. It is spread as all flu viruses spread mainly through airborne contamination. Meaning that someone coughs or sneezes and you take in the virus through you lungs, G.I. tract, or skin. Some infections occur by touching a surface that has been contaminated and then getting the virus in by touching your mouth or nose.
 
   So what are the signs and symptoms of this "Horrible Swine Flu Disease"? You will see that the symptoms are very similar to the run of the mill flu. You may experience fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, and fatigue. Sounds like what I described to you in our last installment (Swine Flu Alert Part I). Vomiting and diarrhea may also occur. Respiratory symptoms may also occur without fever.
 
     Just how severe is the Dreaded Swine Flu Epidemic then? Well that depends on you. In other words the severity of this condition has ranged from mild cases to severe ones. Most people, like yours truly, have recovered without needing medical treatment. I did use many natural treatments which I believe is why I recovered so quickly. About 70% of those who have been hospitalized with this 2009 H1N1 virus have had one or more pre-existing medical conditions which placed them at high risk. These are the very same conditions that put individuals at high risk for the regular garden variety of "seasonal flu". These include: pregnancy, diabetes, asthma, heart and kidney disease.
 
     So what is the moral of this story? You must keep yourself healthy, and build up your Immune System. How you do that will be the subject of our final installment on the "Swine Flu".

Yours in health,

Dr. Pfeiffer

DISCLAIMER
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration.  These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.  Always consult with your health care professional before changing any medications or undertaking intense physical activity.
 
This email has been sent on behalf of your practitioner, Dr. Douglas G PfeifferDC   |   Center for Nutrition and Wellness   |