Why is there current concern about swine flu?
The World Health Organisation has reported there is significant human to human transmission of a novel influenza virus in young to middle aged people. This new influenza virus was initially referred to as swine influenza because it was initially thought that it may have originated in pigs. The World Health Organisation is now calling the virus Pandemic Influenza (H1N1) 2009 because it is being described as a new subtype of H1N1 not previously detected in swine or humans. It is a new strain of the influenza A virus involving components of swine, avian and human influenza viruses. It is a human health risk because it is being transmitted from human to human.
