Health and Wellness

Swine Flu FAQs

Wed, 04-29-2009

What is Swine Flu?

Swine flu is common disease of pigs and is caused by the same category of influenza virus (influenza A) that causes flu in humans. While outbreaks of swine flu are common in pigs, swine flu is uncommon in humans. It can occur, however, in individuals who are around pigs, and it is known that the virus can spread between humans in much the same way regular flu can spread, typically through coughing or sneezing as well as by contact with items contaminated by flu virus. Over the past four years, a dozen cases of swine flu have been reported in the United States. One death was reported, during an outbreak on an army base in 1976, and in 1988 a pregnant woman from Wisconsin died of swine flu. The current outbreak appears to be caused by a strain of swine flu not previously seen in humans (H1N1).

Swine Flu Concerns

Mon, 04-27-2009

As you may have heard, this past weekend, the United States declared a public health emergency in response to the recent reports of swine flu. UnitedHealthcare wanted to immediately update you on swine flu, offer you and your clients' resources for additional information and let you know what we are doing to address the situation.