Swine Flu

Swine flu, or influenza A (H1N1), started as a respiratory disease that infects pigs. It has since spread to humans and is now being widely transmitted from human to human. 

Swine flu is different from seasonal flu simply because it is a new strain of the virus that appears in humans and spreads quickly from person to person worldwide. 

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is currently closely monitoring cases of swine flu to see how it develops. 

Who is at risk?
Swine flu is a new virus so no-one will have immunity to it and everyone could be at risk of catching it. This includes healthy adults as well as older people and children. 

How does swine flu spread
Flu viruses are made up of tiny particles that can be spread through the droplets that come out of your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze. 

When you cough or sneeze without covering your nose and mouth with a tissue, those droplets can spread and others will be at risk of breathing them in. 

If you cough or sneeze into your hand, those droplets and the germs in them are then easily spread from your hand to any hard surfaces that you touch, and they can live on those surfaces for some time. Everyday items such as door handles, computer keyboards, mobile and ordinary phones and the TV remote control are all common surfaces where flu viruses can be found. 

If other people touch these surfaces and then touch their faces, the germs can enter their systems and they can become infected. That’s how all cold and flu viruses, including swine flu, are passed on from person to person. 

More information on swine flu can found on the NHS Choices website.

For the latest news on Swine Flu around the UK visit DirectGov