H1N1 virus: symptoms, treatment and prevention

Many citizens treat the flu lightly, with a cough or temperature, they do not hurry to bed or to the doctor, but on business. Viruses and it is necessary, because enough one sneeze, for example, in a crowded minibus, and - voila - is ready! The H1N1 flu, which has caught so much fear, or any other flu, has found a dozen new victims. Why? Because one of the tricks of the influenza viruses is spreading them by airborne droplets, most for parasites easy and effective. Their second cunning is the unique variability. When the victim's body begins to work out to the virus that has penetrated the antibody, in order to destroy it, it quickly changes the structure of its proteins, becoming a new modification and at the same time remaining the same disease. That is why new epidemics are constantly emerging, and doctors are developing new vaccines.

Why the flu is called pork

Many people know that in the 1920s, death in Europe was under the name of "Spaniard". She carried to the grave about 100 million earthlings. More recently, scientists have thoroughly studied the material taken from the corpse of a Spanish victim buried in permafrost and found the H1N1 virus in it. Yes, it's the virus that made so much noise in 2009. Over the years, it was repeatedly modified, becoming then H2N2, then H3N2, then H1N2, each time causing new epidemics. At some point the virus got from human to pigs, adapted (mutated) in new hosts and became swine flu, able to live only in animals. After a while the virus again got into the person and, having shown its unique abilities, again mutated, adapting to the new owner. During this period of adaptation, the new strain H1N1 caused only up to 50 cases of swine flu, and in people who, in the nature of their activities, contacted animals. Modifying further, the virus has developed a form that can not only be transmitted from the pig to humans, but also in the future to infect new people. So began the epidemic of the disease, called swine flu.

What is АН1N1

The letter "H" in the name of the parasite means hemagglutinin, a protein that is located on its surface and acts as a kind of mite that hooks into the victim's cells, because, without hooking, the flu viruses do not live. It is the type of these biological "mites" that plays the decisive role, what kind of victim to choose a virus-a person, an animal or a bird. That is, the same virus is very rarely able to live in any living organism. Although there are exceptions. Thus, the H1N1 virus is so universal that it can infect birds, animals and people. The letter "N" means the enzyme neuraminidase. She is also a superficial defender of the virus from antibodies. In addition, it helps to separate from the cell newly born viruses and penetrate the epithelium of the respiratory system of the victim. The letter "A" indicates the type of the virus. There are also B and C, but A is considered the most capable of modification, and therefore the most difficult to predict.

Differences in the disease

H1N1 influenza has not so many differences from the classic seasonal and most people go through without any complications. But he also has one unpleasant feature - some victims have the ability to cause primary viral pneumonia, which can not be cured with antibiotics (this is different from bacterial pneumonia). If patients whose H1N1 virus caused a complication in the form of viral pneumonia, do not begin to treat correctly with the first symptoms, they die within a day. This circumstance was during the 2009 epidemic, the main cause of death of almost 2 thousand people. Other differences between swine flu and normal are nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

Risk groups

To catch the H1N1 virus can be any, but life-threatening complications do not develop for everyone. According to statistical data, the following categories of the population are most susceptible to swine flu in severe form:

- small children (age 0 to 2 years);

- Pregnant women;

- having any pulmonary diseases, for example, asthma;

- people over 65 years of age;

- suffering from chronic diseases of internal organs;

- HIV-infected.

As we see, the greatest danger of swine flu is for those who have weakened the body.

Ways of infection

As already noted above, the H1N1 virus is mainly transmitted by aerogenic means. Important: when sneezing or coughing, microorganisms that escape from the oral cavity or nose of a sick person can "fly" through the air up to 2 meters. If they are inhaled by a healthy person, he will certainly get infected.

But those viruses that did not hit the victim, but settled on any surfaces, continue to live for 8 hours. That is, you can catch swine flu and contact-household way, for example, if you take the handrail with viruses, and then, without washing your hands, eat.

The third way of infection is the most passive - pork from a sick animal. You can catch the flu in this way only if the meat is raw or semi-prepared, because with standard heat treatment, the H1N1 virus perishes in a few minutes.

Classic symptoms of the disease

From the moment of infection until the first signs of an ailment can pass from one to three to four days, which depends on the characteristics of the organism. The H1N1 virus symptoms can cause the same as the classic flu:

General malaise;

- an ache in the whole body (myalgia);

- a common cold;

- headache;

- Persecution and / or sore throat;

- cough;

- increase in temperature to high marks (sometimes there is no temperature);

- chills, fever.

Some patients have complaints about nausea, sometimes up to vomiting, and diarrhea.

H1N1 virus, symptoms of complications

That there was no irreparable trouble, immediately to address to doctors for the help it is necessary, if against a background of seeming cold are observed:

- very high temperature, not knocked down by tablets;

- unbearable causeless nausea;

- vomiting;

- heavy and / or rapid breathing;

- pallor and / or cyanosis of the skin, blue lips (most often in children);

- faintness, hypersonance;

- long absence of urge to urinate;

- pain in the chest and abdomen;

- dizziness;

- Disorientation in space;

- children cry without tears;

- increased excitability without a cause;

- after some improvement in the course of the "cold" suddenly a sharp deterioration.

H1N1 virus, treatment of mild form of the disease

Diagnosis of swine flu, without complications, is difficult due to the identity of symptoms with the usual flu. Determine the type of the virus can only be planted sputum, allocated by coughing, and mucus from the nose and mouth.

With mild flu form, therapy can be done at home. It consists of mandatory bed rest, taking antipyretics if the temperature is above 38 degrees, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, vitamins, cough and coryza. Young children should not be given medicines that have aspirin, since complications (Ray's syndrome) are not excluded . Of antipyretics, you can drink Nurofen, Paracetamol, and adults also Ibuprofen.

Antiviral drugs H1N1 in mild form can be used such:

"Arbidol."

"Viferon."

"The Grippferon."

"Reaferon."

"Ingaron."

"Lipind."

"Ingavirin."

"Cycloferon."

- "Kagocel".

It is also desirable to take antihistamines, drink plenty of fluids - teas, morses, water with honey, currants, raspberries, cabbage and herbs.

The flu takes about 6-7 days.

Healing of severe forms

The H1N1 flu, which occurs with complications, differs markedly from the seasonal one, and it can be recognized without waiting for the results of the sowing. With the symptoms typical of swine influenza in severe form listed above, the patient needs to be hospitalized, and if there are problems with breathing, resuscitation therapy should be started immediately. For treatment, use "Oseltamivir" or "Tamiflu", "Zanamivir" or "Relenza", which suppress the activity of neuraminidase. At the same time, antibacterial therapy is prescribed so that bacterial infection does not develop against the background of viral pneumonia, the organism is purified from toxins released by the H1 N1 virus, and symptomatic treatment is prescribed . The prognosis for patients with complicated swine flu is favorable only in case of timely initiated correct treatment.

At moderate severity of the disease, when there is a high fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, but no problems with breathing, fainting, impaired consciousness and pneumonia, treatment is possible at home.

Precautionary measures

Prevention of H1N1 mainly consists in limiting visits to public places and contacts with people who have the slightest signs of a cold (cough, runny nose). Also doctors recommend:

- wearing a mask in all public places;

- before going out, use oxolin ointment;

- after returning home thoroughly washing hands, washing the nose and mouth;

- refusal to snack on the street and in public places, without first washing your hands thoroughly.

It is established that the swine flu virus quickly dies when exposed to it not only high temperatures, but also antiseptics, such as soap, alcohol solutions, bactericidal agents. Therefore, in public places (schools, hospitals, food points and others) during the epidemic, it is often necessary to produce wet cleaning, to wipe tables, door handles.

At the first symptoms of malaise, especially if there is a cough, runny nose, fever, you need to call a doctor at home to avoid infecting other people.

At the moment, a new vaccine has been developed from H1N1, which simultaneously helps against classical influenza B, from strains of H3N2. It is impossible to get sick from vaccination, as whole vaccines are not used in the vaccine, but only their fragments. However, after the vaccination, you can still catch the flu, but it will proceed in a very light form. Also, the vaccination does not save from all other possible modifications of the H1N1 virus.

Do it every year, preferably a month before the expected epidemic (in the autumn before the beginning of dank cold cold weather).