H1N1 Virus: How Harmful is It, Really?

The stories of the H1N1 virus have come into question as being more powerful then regular flu, and more deadly. This article will report findings on the number of cases of H1N1, and the actual percentage of deaths worldwide, and in the United States. H1N1 is by no means new. Strains of it were infecting people in 2006, along with many, many other strains in the past. So why has all of the hype come from it in 2009? Let's take a closer look at the virus.

It is a sub-type of the influenza virus that has affected humans since the flu came into existence. The 2009 strain is more powerful. Most humans have no immunity to this type of flu, which causes it to be more alarming. Risks of sickness and potential death has put many people on guard for what to expect.

While cases are rising, especially here in the United States, vaccine shots are now available to receive. A shot squirt in the nose injects the user with a small amount of the virus so that antibodies can be produced to stop the infection had the user received it.

The H1N1 virus was named "Swine Flu" when researchers believed that the flu was a similar type found in pigs that had adapted to infect humans. The virus was since found to be a different strain of the same flu virus that attacks each year. It's called "Anti-Genetic Shift" when a flu strain from one species to another. The next paragraph shows how influenza strains are categorized:

"Influenza A virus strains are categorized according to two proteins found on the surface of the virus: hemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidise (N). All influenza A viruses contain hemagglutinin and neuraminidase, but the structures of these proteins differ from strain to strain, due to rapid genetic mutation in the viral genome.

Influenza A virus strains are assigned an H number and an N number based on which forms of these two proteins the strain contains. There are 16 H and 9 N subtypes known in birds, but only H 1, 2 and 3, and N 1 and 2 are commonly found in humans."

The 2009 version of the flu was found to contain 4 different flu strain types. The North American Swine, Avian, and Human Flues, and the Asian/European Swine Flu. The flu has combined and adapted to create a more powerful strain that humans have no immunity.

Does this mean that there is a new epidemic on the rise? Is this something that we'll simply have to "wait and see"? Perhaps this is just another media frenzy scare that we must fight past to become stronger individuals, and humans as a group. Only time will tell, in this instance.

SOURCES:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_A_virus_subtype_H1N1