The World Health Organization recently declared swine flu or what is also commonly known as H1N1 virus as a pandemic. This change in status of the disease was based on the wide spread of the disease and not the level of danger it poses to victims. The term swine flu was coined when in the initial stages of the virus spreading; several similarities were found between the symptoms of flu experienced by humans and the symptoms of flu experienced by pigs. However later studies showed that the virus associated with seasonal flu was relatively different from the virus associated with swine flu. The only similarity between the two viruses is that there are only two genes found in both viruses that are completely identical.

The transmission of the virus directly from pigs to human beings is not a very common phenomenon. In most cases when this transmission does manage to take place, the human does not necessarily suffer from swine flu. Only direct contact with surfaces of respiratory secretions that contain the virus will cause the person coming in contact with the virus to contract the disease. The live virus H1N1 needs to be transferred to the nose, mouth or even eyes for the person to contract swine flu. This virus can also be transferred if the cough and sneeze of a person suffering from swine flu manages to infect another person inhaling or swallowing his secretions.

You must be aware that the H1N1 virus that causes swine flu is rather contagious. The first cases in the United States of America were reported in Southern California and Texas. If you think that eating pig meat products will cause you swine flu then you are highly disillusioned. However the virus can be acquired just as the viruses for seasonal flu and cold are acquired under normal conditions.