Written by Jamie Stowe | Tuesday, 28 April 2009 | There are 17 comments
The most deadly influenza virus is still the H5N1 flu virus 
So how serious exactly is a worldwide influenza pandemic and should we be worried about the recent developments in Mexico? Influenza pandemics are nothing new and tend to happen every few decades and the most famous was the Spanish Flu which occurred towards the end of the 1st World War between 1918 and 1919. It was so severe that a commonly repeated statistic is that it killed more individuals than both World Wars put together!
However despite the severity of the Spanish Flu it only killed around 2.5 percent of the men and women who contracted it meaning that it had a very low mortality rate. So far it is estimated that the swine flu originating from Mexico has killed around ten percent of the people who have contracted it and it is worth bearing in mind that there are more drugs and better medical care today than back in 1918. Scientists therefore have reason to be concerned about the possibility of the swine flu getting out of control. The SARS Virus of Hong Kong killed around twenty percent of people it infected.
The most deadly influenza virus is still the H5N1 flu virus which is still surfacing in Asia and in Egypt. The H5N1 Bird flu virus has killed over 50 percent of all the people who get it even when they get medical treatment quickly. If the H5N1 Bird flu virus actually became as contagious as the recently emerging swine flu the world would have an extremely serious crisis on its hands. Thousands of men and women have already been affected by the swine influenza virus however the vast majority of them pull through.
Flu viruses are very good at mutating into different forms and the new swine influenza virus is said to be a mix of a type of swine influenza virus, a bird influenza virus and even an influenza virus which commonly infects humans. At this point there is very little that can be done except to sit and wait and hope for the best. National health authorities around the world are working constantly to try and contain the virus and to learn more about it.
There are 17 comments on this article.
Guy B said:
Freaky woo woo. Is the end of the world coming? Achoo, achoo, cough, cough...
jenny said:
How can you make jokes about something that has killed over 150 people. Guy you are an idiot...
Peter said:
Guy, judging by your coments you must already have the virus in your brain!!
James said:
this is actually really freaky!!!!
Hopefully we will find a cure.... PLEASE....
Guy B said:
Sorry for replying earlier but I had a really bad headache, oink oink... Am feeling a little pink but am out of the trough of my illness. Must have been the swine I drank last night. Adios amigos, grunt, grunt....
Guy B said:
I meant to say 'Sorry for NOT replying earlier'. Hope you didn't think I was being pig headed or talking hogwash...
Aaron said:
I Am Worreied...
I just had a baby boy 5 days ago and this is what he was braought into..God help us all
Sheila said:
Is it really happening?
I have noticed my tail has turned pink and curly-I'm scared.
Yola said:
Actually it's not even swine flu... It's worse...
Neal said:
This whole situation should worry everyone. Even if the initial outbreak slips quietly away then towards the end of the year it will be back, bigger and uglyer than now. I would recommend to anyone to get your own supply of Tamiflu (don't rely on the government) and ensure you have enough tinned food in the cupboard. If it spreads fast in the UK then we could be shut down just as Mexico has been and I certainly dont want to die. Also get yourself some Hand Clenser and use it regularly to help prevent infection. Swine Flu is preferred over Bird Flu as you stand a good chance of surviving it but Bird Flu keeps croping up and if that spreads out of control we are all screwed.
Robert said:
Guy I think you are so stupid! How can you make fun of a serious situation, If you really got swine flu you would not be joking like that, please respect those who have it.
honghaileng said:
more of flu new
pink tail said:
some of the swine flu is just a killer joke lol
nan said:
my baby grandaughter has it,and I hope none of you ever feel as worried as I do today
nan said:
I don't know what is wrong with our grandaughter now! She was eventually seen by two emergency doctors (wearing masks and gloves)at home last weds who force fed her tamiflu. After 10 days she still has a temperature over 100% when neurofen /calpol are wearing off, is still listless and now the doctors are prescribing antibiotics without seeing her, is this really how we treat babies in the 21st century? I am staggered, god help us all
Judy said:
I hope and pray Nan, that your grandaughter gets over it without any trouble. please let us know via this site which is very helpfull, with the exceptions of the silly bad taste jokers!
Nan said:
Thankyou My baby grandaughter recovered after being given antibiotics However last night her mum said she thought was hot and gave her neurofen and her temperature went down but I looked after her and three other grandchildren today and she was very hot, her skin burning my own, I gave her neurofen twice and kept her cool with a cool flannel, and we will continue to do this as long as her temperature goes down as we have been told that there are many different bugs going around at this present time and we know antibiotics should always be a last resort I am afraid that I no longer trust any doctor to treat her with the care she deserves especially after reading the news today about the toddler who died. I telephoned the Swine flu helpline last week and asked the advisor if I could speak to his line manager to tell them of my fears for other children who may be misdiagnosed, he spoke to his line manager but the manager would not speak to me. I was told that that could never happen. When I said about meningitis, I was categorically told that the two could never be confused, when I said that many of the symptoms were the same I was told that I was wrong. I asked the young man how long he had been training for this job and he refused to tell me. I remain staggered at the treatment our family has received. We are all very afraid now, not of Swine Flu but of the UK governments handling of the situation, the apparent mass hysteria within the NHS and the NHS itself. Below is some useful information on meningitis from http://www.meningitis-trust.org/Signs-Symptoms.html Meningitis information Signs and symptoms Meningitis and septicaemia (blood poisoning) are not always easy to recognise, and symptoms can appear in any order. Some may not appear at all. In the early stages, the signs and symptoms can be similar to many other more common illnesses, for example flu. Trust your instincts. If you suspect meningitis or septicaemia, get medical help immediately. Early symptoms can include fever, headache, nausea (feeling sick), vomiting (being sick), and muscle pain, with cold hands and feet. A rash that does not fade under pressure (see ‘The Glass Test’) is a sign of meningococcal septicaemia. This rash may begin as a few small spots anywhere on the body and can spread quickly to look like fresh bruises. The spots or rash are caused by blood leaking into the tissues under the skin. They are more difficult to see on darker skin, so look on paler areas of the skin and under the eyelids. The spots or rash may fade at first, so keep checking. However, if someone is ill or is obviously getting worse, do not wait for spots or a rash to appear. They may appear late or may not appear at all.
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