[LINK] Obama urges calm, caution and activation of online social networks.

[Jan Whitaker]

At 12:30 PM 5/05/2009, Marghanita da Cruz wrote:
>My
>understanding, is that the H1N1 virus is new to medical science and they don't
>know the vector, symptoms or have a vaccine to prevent people from contracting
>the disease. The advice provided seems 
>useful  and generally applicable, to even
>"normal flu" :

Not exactly: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_A_virus_subtype_H1N1

Influenza A virus subtype H1N1, also known as 
A(H1N1), is a subtype of 
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenzavirus_A>influenzavirus 
A and the most common cause of 
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza>influenza 
(flu) in humans. Some strains of H1N1 are 
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_influenza>endemic 
in humans, including the strain(s) responsible 
for the 
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1918_flu_pandemic>1918 
flu pandemic which killed 50–100 million people 
worldwide. Less virulent H1N1 strains still exist 
in the wild today, worldwide, causing a small 
fraction of all 
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza-like_illness>influenza-like 
illness and a large fraction of all 
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seasonal_influenza>seasonal 
influenza. H1N1 strains caused roughly half of 
all flu infections in 
2006.<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_A_virus_subtype_H1N1#cite_note-0>[1] 
Other strains of H1N1 are 
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swine_influenza>endemic 
in pigs and <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avian_influenza>in birds.


I think what you're thinking of is the comment 
that it's a variant that combines aspects of 
several others and for which they haven't yet 
developed the vaccine. That happens with every 
year's outbreak of flu. They have to match 
closely with the specific variant for each years jab to work.

Jan





Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
jwhit at janwhitaker.com
blog: http://janwhitaker.com/jansblog/
business: http://www.janwhitaker.com

Our truest response to the irrationality of the 
world is to paint or sing or write, for only in such response do we find truth.
~Madeline L'Engle, writer

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