Swine flu causes flu-like symptoms in pigs, making it endemic among them. Unlike other diseases like typhus, which is transmitted by ticks or lice, swine flu spreads from person to person, and not animal to person.
Therefore, one should get rid of the notion that swine flu is caused by eating pork.
When asked swine flu is caused by which virus, a study after the 2009 swine flu pandemic shows that the Swine Influenza Virus contains influenza C and influenza A subtypes, namely, H1N1, H1N2, H2N1, H3N1, H3N2, and H2N3. H1N1 is the most virulent form in humans.
The transmission from animal to human is not common because individuals exposed to pigs often generate antibodies in their blood against human flu. Therefore, you might wonder what caused swine flu in humans. Simply put, after proper examination, it was found that the subtype H1N1 is highly contagious and has a higher transmission rate among persons.
This flu virus can be contracted in the following manner:
- Coughing and sneezing that is caused by droplet infection.
- Touching any surface that has been in contact with the virus and if individuals touch their eyes or nose after that.
Those affected by this virus can spread this disease to others, starting from a day before showing the first signs and a maximum of seven days after they have been diagnosed. Children might spread it for more than 10 days.
After learning in detail about the causes, it is vital to go through swine flu symptoms.