Swine flu and understanding about the H1N1 virus in a tertiary care hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal

Abstract

Dear editor,

Influenza A virus is the most unpredictable virus responsible for many epidemics and pandemics globally. It has unique capability of undergoing mutation causing change in antigenic characters. Swine flu virus (also known as Influenza A (H1N1) virus, pig influenza virus, hog flu virus and pig flu virus) is a novel influenza virus that causes infection in humans. It is an emerging disease presenting as the serious global public health problem. There are many thousands cases each year. Since the emergence of H1N1 virus almost all the continents have been affected by Influenza pandemic and a large number of deaths have occurred in short period.