What is swine flu (H1N1)?
Swine flu (H1N1) is an infection that a type of flu (influenza) virus causes. It’s called swine flu because it’s similar to a flu virus that affects pigs (swine). The virus leads to a lung (respiratory) disease in pigs. Swine flu (H1N1) is a respiratory infection in humans.
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Are swine flu (H1N1) and Spanish flu the same thing?
In 1918, a flu pandemic from a strain of H1N1 infected 500 million people around the world. It was known as the Spanish flu. At least 50 million people worldwide died.
Where did the 2009 swine flu (H1N1) pandemic start?
In April 2009, researchers discovered a new strain of H1N1. They detected it in the United States first. The virus spread quickly across the U.S. and around the world. It spread quickly because it was a new type of flu virus.
Young people weren’t immune to the new virus yet. Older people appeared to have some immunity to the virus. They may have had exposure to an older strain of H1N1 that helped protect them.
The new strain infected millions of people worldwide. At least 150,000 people worldwide died. Eighty percent of those who died were younger than 65.
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When did the swine flu (H1N1) pandemic end?
The World Health Organization (WHO) said the pandemic was over in August 2010. However, people can still get and spread H1N1. H1N1 is one of the seasonal flu viruses. It can cause illness, hospitalization and death.
