SWINE FLU

Swine influenza (also called pig influenza, swine flu, hog flu and pig flu) is an infection by any one of several types of swine influenza virus. Swine influenza virus (SIV) or S-OIV (swine-origin influenza virus) is any strain of the influenza family of viruses that is endemic in pigs.[2] As of 2009, the known SIV strains include influenza C and the subtypes of influenza A known as H1N1, H1N2, H3N1, H3N2, and H2N3.

Swine influenza virus is common throughout pig populations worldwide. Transmission of the virus from pigs to humans is not common and does not always lead to human influenza, often resulting only in the production of antibodies in the blood. If transmission does cause human influenza, it is called zoonotic swine flu. People with regular exposure to pigs are at increased risk of swine flu infection. The meat of an infected animal poses no risk of infection when properly cooked. However certain mammals such as hedgehogs are immune from swine flu.[citation needed]

During the mid-20th century, identification of influenza subtypes became possible, allowing accurate diagnosis of transmission to humans. Since then, only 50 such transmissions have been confirmed. These strains of swine flu rarely pass from human to human. Symptoms of zoonotic swine flu in humans are similar to those of influenza and of influenza-like illness in general, namely chills, fever, sore throat, muscle pains, severe headache, coughing, weakness and general discomfort.

In August 2010 the World Health Organization declared the swine flu pandemic officially over
There is no evidence to link GlaxoSmithKline's H1N1 swine flu vaccine Pandemrix to cases of narcolepsy, European drugs regulators said on Thursday, but a full review is needed and will take three to six months.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said its Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use had reviewed all available data on the suspected link between narcolepsy and Pandemrix.

"The committee concluded that the available evidence was insufficient to determine whether there is any link between Pandemrix and reports of narcolepsy, and that further studies were necessary to fully understand this issue," it said in a statement.
Narcolepsy is a rare sleep disorder that causes a person to fall asleep suddenly and unexpectedly. Its precise cause is unknown, but it is generally considered to be triggered by a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
Glaxo said in a statement that the total number of cases of narcolepsy following immunization with Pandemrix reported to it as of September 17, 2010, was 80, the majority of which were from Sweden and Finland.
Pandemrix has been used since September 2009 for vaccination against H1N1 pandemic flu, also known as swine flu, and has been given to at least 30.8 million Europeans,
"We will also continue our own investigation in an effort to gather additional data and information regarding the reported cases," Norman Begg, chief medical officer at GSK Biologicals, said in a statement.
(Reporting by Kate Kelland; Editing by Will Waterman)