Life is Healthy

The general advice from your doctor will be that you don't need antibiotics for a cold or even flu, unless there are complications, and this is good advice. Antibiotics if overused are not good for you and if you do overuse them they simply will not work.

My wife told me an interesting story yesterday, and this is true. Her friends mother, who is in her early seventies has been lucky enough to have never taken antibiotics in her life. Unfortunately due to a disease she has had to have part of her foot removed. She was given antibiotics to prevent infection, but because she has never had antibiotics before the healing process has been amazing, and she is feeling much better.

S0 the moral to the story is don't take antibiotics unless you are desperate. If you do need to take antibiotics it may be better to eat live yogurt after you have completed the course, as the antibiotics will kill off the good bacteria in your gut as well as the bad.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised the swine flu (h1n1) alert to phase 6, the highest alert level. WHO chief Dr. Margaret Chan made the announcement on thursday June 11, 2009, after the U.N. agency held an emergency meeting with flu experts. Dr. Chan said that she was moving the world to phase 6 which means a virus pandemic, or global epidemic, is under way.

"This is an important and challenging day for all of us, The world is moving into the early days of its first influenza pandemic in the 21st century," Dr. Chan told reporters. "The swine flu (h1n1) virus is now not stoppable."

Increasing the alert level from the current phase 5 to Phase 6 does not mean that the disease is deadlier or more dangerous than before, just that it has spread to more countries, the WHO said.

The last previous pandemic occurred in 1968 which known as the Hong Kong flu and killed about 1 million people. Ordinary flu kills about 250,000 to 500,000 people each year.

On Thursday, WHO also said that 74 countries had reported there are 28,774 cases of swine flu (h1n1), including the fatal 144 deaths. Chan described this swine flu virus as "moderate." Based on pandemic criteria by WHO, a global outbreak has begun when a new flu virus begins spreading in two world regions.

Meanwhile, The U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Thursday, Reactions to the World Health Organization's declaration of a flu pandemic must be grounded in science and avoid discrimination, vowing coordinated and effective U.N. action.

"We must guard against rash and discriminatory actions such as travel bans or trade restrictions," Ban told a news conference at U.N. headquarters.

Health experts consider the WHO's pandemic declaration did not mean that this H1N1 virus was getting deadlier and more dangerous. John Oxford, a professor of virology at St. Bart's and Royal London Hospital mentioned, "People might imagine a virus is now going to rush in and kill everyone, That's not going to happen."

But Prof. Oxford also said the swine flu virus might evolve into a more dangerous strain in the future. "That is always a possibility with influenza viruses," he said. "We have to watch very carefully to see what this virus does."

The Swine Influenza (also called swine flu, hog flu, and pig flu) symptoms are generally the same as an ordinary flu. A swine influenza virus (SIV) is any strain of the influenza family of viruses that is usually hosted by (is endemic in) pigs. Although the name 'swine flu' brings up a lot of extra fear and worry in communities, the most important things to remember is that swine flu is just an influenza A H1N1 virus.

As of 2009, the known SIV strains are the influenza C virus and the subtypes of the influenza A virus known as H1N1, H1N2, H3N1, H3N2, and H2N3. Swine influenza is common in pigs in the midwestern United States (and occasionally in other states), Mexico, Canada, South America, Europe (including the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Italy), Kenya, Mainland China, Taiwan, Japan and other parts of eastern Asia.

Direct transmission of a swine flu virus from pigs to humans is occasionally possible (called zoonotic swine flu). In all, 50 cases are known to have occurred since the first report in medical literature in 1958, which have resulted in a total of six deaths. Of these six people, one was pregnant, one had leukemia, one had Hodgkin disease and two were known to be previously healthy. Despite these apparently low numbers of infections, the true rate of infection may be higher, since most cases only cause a very mild disease, and will probably never be reported or diagnosed.

Swine Flu Symptoms

According to the Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC), like the other types of flu, symptoms of swine flu infections can include:

* High fever
* Headache
* Chills
* Sore throat
* Cough
* Runny nose or stuffy nose
* Body aches
* Fatigue or tiredness, which can be extreme

The 2009 outbreak has shown an increased percentage of patients reporting diarrhea and vomiting. The 2009 H1N1 virus is not zoonotic swine flu, as it is not transmitted from pigs to humans, but from person to person.

Signs of a more serious swine flu infection might include pneumonia and respiratory failure. If the flu becomes pandemic, potentially, everyone is at risk because few people, if any at all, will have immunity (resistance) to it.

If you experiencing one of these symptoms but a flu pandemic has not been announced yet, maybe you only have a common seasonal flu.

Swine Flu Prevention

Influenza viruses usually spreads between humans through coughing or sneezing and when people touching materials with the virus on it and then touching their own nose or mouth. Swine flu virus cannot be spread by pork and its derivative products, since the virus is not transmitted through food. The swine flu virus in humans is most contagious during the first five days of the illness although some people, most commonly children, can remain contagious for up to ten days. Diagnosis can be made by sending a specimen, collected during the first five days for analysis.

Some recommendations to prevent the spread of the swine flu virus among humans include using standard infection control against influenza. This includes frequent washing of hands with soap and water or with alcohol-based hand sanitizers, especially after being out in public. Chance of transmission is also could be reduced by disinfecting household surfaces, which can be done effectively with a diluted chlorine bleach solution. Although the current trivalent influenza vaccine is unlikely to provide protection against the new 2009 H1N1 strain, vaccines against the new strain are being developed and could be ready as early as June 2009.

Health experts agree that washing our hand can help to prevent viral infections, including ordinary influenza and the swine flu virus. Influenza can spread in coughs or sneezes, but an increasing body of evidence shows small droplets containing the virus can linger on tabletops, telephones and other surfaces and be transferred via the fingers to the mouth, nose or eyes. Alcohol-based gel or foam hand sanitizers work well to destroy viruses and bacteria. Anyone with flu-like symptoms such as a sudden fever, cough or muscle aches should stay away from work or public transportation and should contact a doctor for advice.

Social distancing is another tactic. It means staying away from other people who might be infected and can include avoiding large gatherings, spreading out a little at work, or perhaps staying home and lying low if an infection is spreading in a community. Public health and other responsible authorities have action plans which may request or require social distancing actions depending on the severity of the outbreak.

Swine Flu Treatment

If anybody becomes sick and guessed being infected with swine flu, antiviral drugs can make the illness become milder and make the patient feel better faster. They may also prevent some serious flu complications would be occures.

For treatment, antiviral drugs work best if started soon after getting sick (within 2 days of symptoms). Beside antivirals, palliative care, at home or in hospital, focuses on controlling fevers and maintaining fluid balance.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the use of Tamiflu (oseltamivir) or Relenza (zanamivir) for the treatment and/or prevention of infection with swine influenza viruses, however, the majority of people infected with the virus make a full recovery without requiring medical attention or antiviral drugs.

Apart from certain plants and herbs, and of course Tamiflu the best way to protect against Swine Flu is by using massive doses of Vitamin C. The RDA of vitamin c for a healthy adult in the UK is 60mg, but I am not talking about an orange a day here but 1-10g per day (1,000mg-10,000mg per day,)

So how do I know this will work?. I dont for sure, but I will be taking large doses of vitamin c if I catch Swine Flu.

Twenty years ago my youngest son aged four was quite ill. He had a high temperature, and was vomiting. My GP was not available, so I took a chance and gave him 1,000mg of vitamin c. Not only was my son better and running around like normal, but this had happened within half an hour of giving him the vitamin c.


Nine out of ten times this has worked for me in the past, and although I do not take large doses of vitamin c all the time, which I would advise against, I do think it would help against Swine Flu.
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With all this talk about 'Swine Flu' I thought it only right to share with you a remedy that has just been released in the UK.

They are currently working on an OINKMENT which you can apply too. If you do however notice any symptoms please call a HAMBULANCE immediately.
Swine flu symptoms are stuttering like p-p-p-p-p-porky p-p-p-p-ig. My best friend says he has swine flu, but I think he's telling PORKIES.

Apparently please do not contact the hospitals for advice, there is a problem with the phonelines and all you will get is CRACKLING

There are reports from the religious sectors saying: The APORKALYPSE is finally here!

My advice: I say STY put and don't travel.

Why is it that the first thing we try to do after killing a pig is to cure it?

In more sensational news: who says pigs cant fly? I heard a pig flu in Mexico recently.
In other news: Disney HQ bans the “Three Little Pigs” movie as a precaution

In recent years we have experienced 'Mad cow disease', Salmonella and Bird flu - makes you wonder what's next, answers on a postcard.

*disclaimer : this is a joke please do NOT attempt to purchase this item or others like it.

Director General for Animal Husbandry of the Ministry of Agriculture (Direktur Jenderal Peternakan Departemen Pertanian), Tjeppy D. Soedjana ensure that Indonesia safe from the spread of swine flu that is now infecting Mexico and The United States.

The reason, Indonesia does not have a transportation relationship of pork and its derivative products from both countries. "Thus, the possibility of the spread of swine flu in Indonesia is very small,"said Tjeppy, when contacted by Tempo, Saturday (25 / 4).

However,Ministry of Agriculture remains cautious this new plague with preparing various anticipation. Such as setting up rules and guidelines to respond to emergency situations, human resources, diagnostic lab infrastructure, and the quarantine.

Another Anticipating form such as controling the livestock will also be done by the Executive of the Technical Unit (Unit Pelaksana Teknis) Directorate General of Animal Husbandry, including giving special attention to foreign tourists from Mexico and the United States by the Ministry of Agriculture Quarantine Agency. "Because they can act as a carrier of disease," said Cheppy.

Directorate General of Animal Husbandry has formed a team to conduct meetings and coordinate the anticipation with Directorate General for Disease Control and Environment Sanitation, Department of Health and National Quarantine related to the outbreaks. "Because, in the case of Indonesia, pigs can also be contagious avian influenza (bird flu)," said Tjeppy.