SWINE FLU OUTBREAK

This is how the never-before-seen H1N1 swine influenza (flu) virus looks like.

It is a concoction of four viruses - the human, the bird and the European and Asian pigs flu viruses.

A few said that it is created in the lab and released as bio-warfare. Is it? It is not that far-fetched really. Some people will do anything to reach their goals, even to the extent of mass murder.

The classical H1N1 swine flu virus is present worldwide, causing very little damage to pigs and does not normally jump into humans. But this novel H1N1 virus, a result of reassortment process, where human, birds, and pigs gene mix, is readily transmitted from human to human.

In a short time the disease spreads to US, Europe and there is a suspect case in Thailand and Singapore.

When we think that Nipah virus was bad, this H1N1 is hundred times worse! Intercontinental air travel makes the spread of this virus very easy.

Unless you are very very desperate, please do not travel to US, Mexico and other infected countries or travel in planes that had carried passenger from and travelling from those countries.

To pork lovers, do not be scared. Pork, if cooked beyond 70 C is safe to consume.

Now is the time to stop the global transmission of the virus. Now is not the time to hunt for the origin of the virus. That can be done later, after the disease is stopped.