H1N1 Swine Flu

INITIATING QUESTIONS
1. What is an epidemic?
2. What is a pandemic? An epidemic of infectious disease that spreads through populations across a large region.
3. What is an infectious disease?
4. What is a virus?
5. What makes the H1N1 virus a "novel" or "new" virus? Originally is called influenza virus and it affects humans. In Mexico there is a vaccine but only for type “A”. This virus has mutated and caused the growth of H1N1, which presents in pigs. It is called a “new” virus because it not only affects pigs but now affects humans too.
6. How do viruses mutate?
7. What does it mean that this virus has "parts" from other known swine flus, human flus and American bird flus?
8. How does that process happen?
9. How is the flu vaccine created?
10. Why are some viruses transmittable from human to human while others are not (avian flu)?
11. How does Tamiflu work? Tamiflu is an antiviral that has shown that it has some efficacy against this strain of swine flu.
12. Scientists worry that H1N1 might become resistant to Tamiflu. How might that happen?
READING COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
1. What is the most predictable thing about influenza?
2. How many people have died in Mexico? (based on the article as well as on latest news)
In the first article they include that 150 people have died of this virus.
3. Name 3 countries where swine flu has been confirmed in the last three days.
Mexico, United States, Canada and Costa Rica.
4. What are the symptoms of the swine flu? Commonly, this virus causes fever, cough, sore throat and nausea and can be deadly in some cases.
5. When was the outbreak of the Spanish flu? The outbreak of the Spanish Flu was after the World War 1, and it was the most deadly flu outbreak in history. It killed 50 million people and spread to all continents. There was another outbreak in 1976 that lead one to death, but there was emergency prevention programs that vaccinated more that 40 million people.

6. What percentage of the world population died of influenza then?
1% of the global population died of influenza.
7. Why was there an emergency vaccination program in 1976? They have seen the outbreak in 1918, and decided to prevent the same number of people infected before they could have complications.
8. Name a few actions the Mexican government has done to curb the spread of swine flu.
• Closed schools until May 6
• Cancel ceremonies in churches
• Closed many public spaces like movie theaters, bars, and clubs

9. What were the consequences for Mexico and Mexicans due to the actions taken by the government?
10. What industries were particularly hard hit?

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Mexico has shut down schools and other public spaces; do you think that was the correct thing to do? Why or why not?
2. More people die from the regular flu then from swine flu, why do you think this became a big news story?
3. Why did people stop visiting Mexico? Why have Mexicans been discriminated? Do you think the fear of the disease is justified?
4. What questions about individual and human rights does preventing the spread of flu raise?