Swine Flu is getting more and more attention. There have not been any reported cases in Mississippi at this time. There are numerous links from yahoo and others to track where the reported cases are.
The symptoms resemble those of "human" flu including high temperatures, sore throat, runny nose, cough, chills, headache, body aches, and fatigue or tiredness. Think of the Nyquil commercials. Some people also experience some GI effects from the swine flu including diarrhea and vomiting.
There is no vaccine for the human spread of swine flu. The flu vaccine will not protect against the swine flu. It is felt that the current episode of swine flu is being spread from human to human contacts.
The best prevention at this time is good hygiene and avoidance of possible infected people. Remember to cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough and wash your hands. If someone is infected, it is felt that they are contagious for at least 7 days.
The swine flu at least for now does seem to respond to the oral flu medications used to treat the "human" flu such as Tamiflu and Relenza.
If you have symptoms which suggest typical flu symptoms, go to your physician's office and get checked out. If they suspect swine flu, then a culture can be obtained and forwarded to the State Health Department. They will test the specimen for swine flu. In the mean time, you can be started on appropriate therapy for whatever illness you may have.
I have included a link from the AMA on the subject of swine flu. It also has an internal link to the CDC website.
If you need a doctor, please give us a call or come by. We will be glad to help with your medical needs. We are located in the FairPark District in Downtown Tupelo at 88 Clark Boulevard. Our phone number is 662-690-5675. You can find us on the web at www.gumtreemedicalclinic.com
Click for the AMA link: http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/physician-resources/medical-science/infectious-diseases/topics-interest/swine-flu.shtml
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