Pig Flu

You might think that inter-species diseases are a thing of the movies, but in reality viruses, bacteria, and fungus jump between the species they attack. The recent H1N1 pig flu virus had genes from bird flu, and when it migrated to humans, it acquired human genes.

Vaccines try to prevent inter-species viruses and include immunity against variations of H1N1, H3N2, H1N2. Viral mutations are not fiction, and vaccination and potent anti-virals are some of our weapons.

World Health Organization Warns of "Potential Pandemic"
The World Health Organization (WHO) was not very well prepared to deal with the proportion of the outbreak of the pig flu. The most they could do is issue alerts of its status.

Governments around the World taking Precautions as Pig Flu Reaches Global Status (May 2009)
When the pig (swine) flu pandemic entered a Global status, we were not prepared for it. This is an archived reaction to such outbreak.

Companies working on Swine Flu Vaccines
At the moment of the pig (swine) influenza outbreak, there were several companies ready to work on vaccines and containment strategies. This is a list of these companies.

BBC News Swine Influenza
Breaking news when the Pig Flu Virus Epidemic first broke in April 2009 !

Mexico City and Mexico in General Update on Swine (Pig) Flu Epidemic, April 25, 2009
News from April 2009 about Pig Flu in Mexico City and Mexico in General Update on Swine (Pig) Flu Epidemic, April 25, 2009

Pig Flu Facts
Facts about swine Flu or H1N1 Influenza

Swine flu cases drop, but death stats spike
ATLANTA - Swine flu infections seem to be dropping, but more than two dozen children died with the illness during one week in November, according to a government report released Monday.

Swine flu vaccine safe, CDC affirms in report
ATLANTA - There's no evidence that the swine flu vaccine is causing any serious side effects, U.S. health officials said Wednesday, in their first report on the safety of the new vaccine.

Many get swine flu, nothing else
ATLANTA - The largest U.S. analysis of hospitalized adult swine flu patients has found almost half were healthy people who did not have asthma or any other chronic illnesses before they got sick.

Children's deaths show resilience of swine flu
ATLANTA - Health officials said Friday that 76 U.S. children have died of swine flu, including 19 new reports in the past week - more evidence the new virus is unusually dangerous for the young.

Prepared for swine flu? Here are 10 things you need to know
ATLANTA - Since it emerged in April, the global swine flu epidemic has sickened more than 1 million Americans and killed about 500. It's also spread around the world, infecting tens of thousands and killing nearly 2,000.

Biotechnology advances have allowed us to understand viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens better than ever before. We use genetic engineering, DNA sequencing, microarrays, PCR, and other genomic and proteomic tools to understand pathogens better.
We've also developed vaccines and potent antivirals and antibiotics that fight diseases. A proof of this is how much longer life expectancy is Today than it was before the 1940's when antibiotics were invented.