When we study the background to the 2009 Mexican flu outbreak then we find one fact that here we have a mixture of several flu's that have come together to form a new strain.
Let's consider the facts for a moment.
Remember that the influenza A virus does kill people very year especially in the winter.
Firstly there are a number of different diseases in the same family as the flu.
There are Influenzavirus A (affects birds, humans, and mammals) Influenzavirus B (affects humans and seals), Influenzavirus C (affects humans and pigs), Isavirus (affects fish with anemia), and Thogotovirus (or Dhori Virus affects ticks to pass on its virus on) all are the different types of this virus.
Now you can see that the flu virus can affect a number of different types of living beings.
For Influenzavirus A these living beings include swine (pigs and wild pig varieties) birds, horses, dogs, and humans.
Secondly viruses are constantly changing.
The virus that killed people last year will not kill so many next year as people's immunity resists better as it overcomes the virus.
The virus will change and when it combines with the virus from swine, birds, horses dogs and humans, then it becomes more difficult for the immune system to defeat.
When we look at the progress of Mexican flu, we find that it comes from a mix of swine, avian and human flu.
We now have the situation where the virus has passed to human beings.
When a worker on a pig farm returned from holiday in Mexico he was carrying Mexican flu and gave the flu back to the pigs.
This became the first known infection of pigs by a human influenza A virus.
So we are getting our revenge on the swine.
Let's consider the facts for a moment.
Remember that the influenza A virus does kill people very year especially in the winter.
Firstly there are a number of different diseases in the same family as the flu.
There are Influenzavirus A (affects birds, humans, and mammals) Influenzavirus B (affects humans and seals), Influenzavirus C (affects humans and pigs), Isavirus (affects fish with anemia), and Thogotovirus (or Dhori Virus affects ticks to pass on its virus on) all are the different types of this virus.
Now you can see that the flu virus can affect a number of different types of living beings.
For Influenzavirus A these living beings include swine (pigs and wild pig varieties) birds, horses, dogs, and humans.
Secondly viruses are constantly changing.
The virus that killed people last year will not kill so many next year as people's immunity resists better as it overcomes the virus.
The virus will change and when it combines with the virus from swine, birds, horses dogs and humans, then it becomes more difficult for the immune system to defeat.
When we look at the progress of Mexican flu, we find that it comes from a mix of swine, avian and human flu.
We now have the situation where the virus has passed to human beings.
When a worker on a pig farm returned from holiday in Mexico he was carrying Mexican flu and gave the flu back to the pigs.
This became the first known infection of pigs by a human influenza A virus.
So we are getting our revenge on the swine.