I received a question that a person asked me to answer on Ask an Expert Anything. The question is, “What was AH1N1?”  I wasn’t sure so I looked at Flu.gov, the CDC site and PLoS.

What I found was that the A stands for influenza type A.  During the initial days of the infections appearance, the CDC referred to it as AH1N1.  I have also seen it written as influenza type A/H1N1.  Another designation is Swine-origin A/H1N1.

The letters like H, N and the numbers correspond to proteins on the surface of the virus.  H1N1 are common human influenza designations.  Many of the seasonal influenza viruses are H1N1.

There have been a few more deaths than are typical among younger  people (<25 years old) than would be expected for seasonal influenza.  Overall though, the virus has been much milder.  This is fortunate since the rapid tests for influenza are often false even when the infection seems obviously present.

In addition to getting an immunization, there are some other things you can do to protect yourself.  Drink plenty of fluids and get enough rest.  Take some vitamin D3 supplements. Those that do not contain any Vitamin A are recommended.  Green Tea contains some chemicals that prevent the viral enzymes from affecting your cellular RNA. Drinking a cup or two per day would be wise.

After the flu, be aware of symptoms like:

• the return of fever,

• productive cough and

• signs of sinus infection

that can occur as a result of having had the flu.

What has been your experience with this infection?  Have you or someone you know had this illness or have you taken the immunization?  Let us hear about your experience.

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