Swine flu has now killed over 150 people in Mexico and cases of it have been confirmed around the world. With medicine experts struggling for a cure, there is concern of a global pandemic that could affect millions of people around the world.

Swine flu is a disease caused by a certain type of influenza which usually only infects pigs. There are many different types of the infection and it is constantly changing and adapting; like any other disease and infection. Until recently this infection hasn’t affected humans, but the infection has adapted and the new form is now able to infect humans. It can be spread from person to person, by coughing and sneezing and general close contact.

Symptoms of swine flu are very similar to the ones of the common seasonal flu. Symptoms include coughs, fevers and chills.

The common flu that a lot of people get every now kills around 250,000 to 500,000 people a year. Swine flu has been said to be more dangerous and if it spreads we could see more figures like those.

Swine flu has been taken very seriously by the World Health Organisation; they have issued a strong warning that the infection could lead to a worldwide pandemic.

At the moment current medicines are helping the suffering people but there is no vaccine for the new form of the disease.

A vaccine was used to protect humans from an earlier version of swine flu affected humans in the US outbreaks in 1976. However, it caused serious side effects. There were more deaths from the vaccine than the outbreak.

Experts have said that it is too early to asses the whole situation fully. They say that the outbreaks should be taken seriously as a precaution to prevent anything worse occurring.

-Charlie Harrison