The new swine flu that’s gotten everyone’s attention this weekend is an interesting one. It’s not just a “swine” flu; instead, it contains a mixture of swine, avian and human DNA.

All of which begs the question: Is Cincinnati to blame?

Known for its flying pigs, could Cincinnati have been the melting spot where the swine and avian flu viruses merged?

Of course, I’m not being serious. I haven’t even seen a flying pig outside my window in years.

The swine flu, on the other hand, is serious business. Like past flu outbreaks that have become pandemics, the swine flu is causing the deaths of healthy adults between the ages of 25 and 49. Usually, that age group would fight off a typical flu without much trouble.

I’ve been maintaining a map of the outbreak over the weekend, updating it as news comes in, for the swine flu. You can see how it’s jumped around, so it may be spread much wider but hasn’t affected people yet. We’ll see as the week progresses.

Hopefully, it will be one of those things that pans out. And, we can do our part to help it pan out. Be sure to wash your hands! That’s the most common way things are spread, especially from the hands to the nose, mouth and eyes. If you get sick, make sure to limit contact with other people so you don’t spread it around. It is an airborne virus, so coughing and sneezing spreads the virus. I’ve heard it spreads in a 3 foot radius, but I don’t know how accurate that number is. And, if you have any concerns whether you have the swine flu, don’t hesitate to contact your doctor or other medical professional. Right now, officials are recommending the same precautions you would take during the normal flu season.

And, for those that were wondering, this is the Year of the Ox, not the Year of the Pig (or Boar). That won’t be until 2019.

Astute readers will also notice that the city in the picture is not Cincinnati. (I had to make do with what I had!) But, do you know what city it is?

This entry was posted on Sunday, April 26th, 2009 at 9:43 pm and is filed under Blogging. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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