Ok, the whole “swine flu” topic is on everyone’s lips (good one) and I think it’s reaching a point where we need to be more educated on the topic. Let’s get through that, then we’ll chat about these recent local cases.

A friend of mine, Wilfred Ikipedia, filled me in on the vibe. check it out:

Swine influenza (also swine flu) refers to influenza caused by any strain of the influenza virus endemic in pigs (swine). Strains endemic in swine are called swine influenza virus (SIV), not to be confused with Simian immunodeficiency virus, also abbreviated to SIV. [I would never make that mistake]

Swine flu is common in swine and rare in humans. People who work with swine, especially people with intense exposures, are at risk of catching swine influenza if the swine carry a strain able to infect humans. However, these strains rarely are able to pass from human to human. Rarely, SIV mutates into a form able to pass easily from human to human. The strain responsible for the 2009 swine flu outbreak is believed to have undergone such a mutation. [oh shit] This virus is named swine flu because one of its surface proteins is similar to viruses that usually infect pigs, but this strain is spreading in people and it is unknown if it infects pigs.

[more here]

Nice, quite a mellow vibe. Just to fill you in, there are something like 159 reported deaths (here) so far from this bacon bonanza.

Not ideal.

Neither is this.

It is not known if that started it all. I think you’ll find it’s just an old pic of someone’s child doing revolting things.

Back to South Africa and this swine flu vibe. iol reckons it’s finally hit our shores. Awesome.

Check it out:

Swine flu suspected in SA – report

Two suspected cases of swine flu have been reported in South Africa, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases said on Wednesday.

Deputy director Lucille Blumberg said the first, which became known on Monday, was a woman from the Western Cape who travelled extensively in Mexico earlier this month.

She was in contact with the people there while using trains and buses.

The woman was ill with flu-like symptoms on her return to South Africa on April 24, Blumberg said.

A general practitioner who treated the woman last Saturday did consider swine flu as a possible diagnosis.

She was given anti-viral treatment and sent home.

The woman was fine now.

The specimen taken from her was not stored appropriately, which meant a laboratory assessment to confirm the case could not be done.

“(But) she fits the case definitely,” said Blumberg.

The second suspected case which the institute became aware of on Wednesday concerned a woman in Gauteng.

Not much details were known about the woman, although she was known to have returned from Mexico with a flu-like illness.

“She is not particularly ill,” said Blumberg.

No confirmed cases of swine flu have been identified in South Africa.

[no more here]

That was the entire article. I swear to God. Not much we can gather from that. Other than, well, nothing.

You are aware that the UK has ordered 32 million face masks, right?

No, I’m not kidding.

CLICK HERE for more on that.

Th’e US have also had their first reported death from swine flu; an infant. CLICK HERE for that.

[thanks nic]