Many of you might recall following the news back in 1976 when a disease known as ’swine flu’ was reported.  An army recruit in New Jersey died and four of his mates became very ill.  It was announced by health officials that the virus in question appeared to be very similar to the one that caused the Spanish flu epidemic in 1918.

They declared a  public health emergency and vaccines were stockpiled….enough for a universal immunization program.

As of  Tuesday, April 28, 2009, there have been 68 reported cases of a new ’swine flu’ in the United States.  Obviously, before it’s all over there will be many more cases.  The reaction has not differed much from back in 1976.  It has once again been declared a public health emergency and the vaccine is again being stockpiled.

No doubt we all recall the SARS, Bird Flu and West Nile Virus scares.  Could this latest case of the swine flu be the ‘Big One’?    At the moment no one knows how much of an impact this is going to have on society in general.  It would be complete conjecture at this stage of the game.

I live on Vancouver Island and Victoria is only a one hour drive away.  Today I read in the local paper that a Victoria woman is on the mend from the swine flu.  She recently returned from a resort in Cancun, Mexico.  She is the first person on Vancouver Island to be diagnosed with it.  However, as of yesterday there were seven new cases confirmed here in Canada.  They all have links with travel to Mexico, where the illness is suspected of killing at least 150 people and making another 1600 sick.  There are about 80 other confirmed cases in other countries.

The Asian flu of 1957-58 and the Hong Kong flu of 1968-69 were the last big epidemics to hit the U.S., and we won’t know what the next epidemic is until we are actually in the middle of it.  There is no need for anyone to panic but on the other hand, we don’t want to ignore the situation either.

We want to use our common sense and make sure we know what we should do to prepare ourselves for a pandemic.  We all realize that with the speed of travel these days, something of a viral nature can spread very quickly.

One of the very best things to stop the spread of infectious diseases is isolation.  You would obviously want to eliminate, or at least minimize, your exposure to the general public.  Make sure you always have a supply of non-perishable food items on hand along with sufficient water.  Your supply should be enough to last you at least a few weeks without having to leave your home.  It’s also a good idea to have a minimum of three months supply of any medications you take.  Keep a small supply of fibre surgical masks around also.

The experts believe that it is not a matter of whether, but when, we eventually have another pandemic.  Is this outbreak of swine flu going to be the big one?  Most likely not.  The strain does not appear to be very potent and people are recovering quite rapidly.  However, we can look at it as a good wakeup call, so that we can make all necessary arrangements for possible future events.

In the meantime, do whatever you can to keep your immune system strong.  Obviously these diseases will affect people with a weakened system to a greater degree than a person with a healthy one.  It is definitely not a time to panic, but to be wise and take all the necessary precautions and preparations to protect your precious health.

Here you will find the very best way to improve your health and your immune system