What is the difference between the swine flu and the bird flu?

Question

Other than the swine flu started in Mexico and the bird flu starting in Asia?

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

long story short ... different strains of Influenza A infect different species. Normally, those strains will not cross species. In other words, pigs can't be infected by the bird flu and the swine flu can't infect birds. But sometimes, an animal will be infected with two different types of influenza A at the same time and the two viruses swap genetic information. When this happens, there is a possiblility to jump species. This is likely what is happening in Mexico ... and now the US. Humans have never been exposed to this type of "new" influenza and our immune systems don't react very well. This happens every few decades and lots of people die. Sad but true.

Source(s):

i am a pharmacist and medical student.

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

Thanks! Scary...

Answer 2

The strand is a mutation of bird, pig, and human. Never seen before.

Answer 3

bird flu is a bird virus, the swine flu is a mix of pig bird and human viruses mixed together

Answer 4

Different strains of influenza affect different species. Birds get avian flu. Pigs get swine flu.
Usually it is difficult or impossible to contract a strain of influenza belonging to another species. People who get avian flu usually get it from massive exposure to bird poop (e.g. they work cleaning the chicken coop). Similarly with swine flu. Normally avian flu is not passed from one human to another. Same with swine flu. So it doesn't become epidemic in humans.
But influenza viruses are always mutating. Sometimes a strain of avian or swine flu develops that can actually pass from one human to another. This means it can spread readily.
Now, most of the influenzas we get are not too dangerous. We get sick but death from it is rare.
But some strains of influenza are more deadly. The Influenza pandemic of 1918, the deadliest flu epidemic known, was an avian flu or maybe a swine flu which became communicable between humans. It killed 20-40 million people.
The spread of influenza is greatly accelerated by modern transportation. Even in 1918 it spread across the world. Imagine what it can do now with airplane travel.
The info on the recent swine flu is pretty sketchy yet, but it must be pretty bad if Mexico is closing its schools and theaters.

Source(s):

http://www.avianinfluenza.org/avian-infl…
http://www.addl.purdue.edu/newsletters/2…

Answer 5

One key point to remember is that we do not develop immunity to swine flu (sigh).

Answer 6

swine flu is a form of flu seen in pigs, and usually transferring from pig to pig, sometimes making the jump to humans. bird flu is a different form of flu which affects birds, and also sometimes jumps to humans. humans don't like these forms of flu because they are not used to them, hence they affect humans in a more negative way than normal human flu.

Answer 7

The swine flu is a disease that has adapted fusing the bird flue and the common flu. So it now can be spread through birds, humans and pigs and can kill off all three of them.

Source(s):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUqMJiqBV…

Answer 8

Some great info on it here http://mexicofluvaccine.blogspot.com

Answer 9

When Swine Flu and Avian Flu mixed together in 1918 it killed 675 THOUSAND Americans! They are both similar strands, it's when you add the ability to cross over into humans, which we have no resistance too, that's when you have the terrible problems.

http://newsfornatives.com/blog/2009/04/2…

Source(s):

http://newsfornatives.com

Answer 10

Variants of flu virus are sometimes named according to the species the strain is endemic in or adapted to. The main variants named using this convention are: Bird Flu, Human Flu, Swine Flu, Horse Flu and Dog Flu. (Cat flu generally refers to Feline viral rhinotracheitis or Feline calicivirus and not infection from an influenza virus.) In pigs, horses and dogs, influenza symptoms are similar to humans, with cough, fever and loss of appetite

Source(s):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza

Answer 11

They have no relation except the fact that they are both a flu.

Answer 12

bird flu is from birds
the old swine flu was from pigs
the new swine flu is a mix of bird flu and swine flu.