Know the Ten Symptoms of Swine Flu

Swine flu, H1N1 is a respiratory disease caused by influenza viruses that infect the respiratory tract of pigs and result in a barking cough, decreased appetite, nasal secretions, and listless behaviour; the virus can be transmitted to humans.

Swine flu spreads from people to people just how common cold spreads. When people infected with swine flu cough or sneeze, they spray tiny drops of the virus into the air. If a person come in contact with these drops, touch a surface (like a doorknob or sink) where the drops landed, or touch something an infected person has recently touched, the person is at an increased risk of catching the H1N1 Swine Flu.

Symptoms of Swine Flu include fever, lethargy, muscle and joint pain, runny nose, sore throat, lack of appetite, coughing, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

Children, elderly, pregnant women and diabetics are at a greater risk of contracting swine flu and develop complications. For this reason, health care practitioners advise vaccination for high risk category patients.

Very few laboratories in India are authorised to conduct Swine Flu testing. Metropolis Healthcare is the only laboratory which is authorised to conduct Swine Flu tests in Mumbai, Pune and Chennai. Testing for swine flu is based on the guidelines laid down by the public health department and is done only against a doctor's prescription. Metropolis assures you of 100% accurate results.