REGIONAL — According to the latest AP reports, the H1N1 flu, or “swine flu” as it’s commonly referred to, has caused an estimated 4,000 deaths in the United States since April.

That includes 540 children who have died from the illness.

Another 22 million people have become ill from the new bug in the same stretch of time.

The number of deaths from the H1N1 flu is roughly quadruple previous estimates, but even with those numbers, the AP reports that doesn’t necessarily mean it has worsened.

Most cases still don’t require a doctor’s visit; however, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials only expect, unfortunately, for those numbers to continue to rise.

It’s still early in the flu season.

And supplies on the H1N1 flu vaccine remain tight.

The Union County School District is making preparations in anticipation of vaccine being made available to give to students and the Union County Health Department is holding a vaccination clinic today (Saturday, Nov. 14) for at-risk individuals, but with a continued strain on the amount of vaccine available there are things people should know about this new flu and how it’s affecting the region.

Today The Union Daily Times begins a weeklong series that will take a look at the H1N1 flu — first detected in people in the United States in April of this year. People need to know what they can do to protect themselves against it and about its presence in Union County.

This first article is a general overview of what the swine flu is and how you can recognize it with information from the CDC — all of which plus more information can be found at the CDC Web site at www.cdc.gov. Stories next week will center around how people can protect themselves and how the illness is impacting schools, businesses and others.

Q: What is H1N1 or “swine flu?”

A: This is a new influenza virus causing illness in people, first detected in the United States in April 2009. On June 11, the World Health Organization signaled a pandemic of H1N1 flu was under way.

Q: Why is H1N1 sometimes called swine flu?

A: It was originally referred to as swine flu because lab testing showed many of the genes in this new virus were similar to influenza viruses normally occurring in pigs in North America. Further study showed, however, this new virus is very different from those normally circulating in North American pigs — it has two genes from viruses normally circulating in pigs in Europe and Asia and bird, or avian, genes and human genes. Scientists call this a “quadruple reassortant” virus.

Q: How does H1N1 spread?

A: Spread of this virus is thought to occur the same way seasonal flu spreads. Flu viruses spread mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing by people with influenza. People also sometimes might become infected by touching something like a surface or object with the virus on it and then touching their mouth or nose.

Q: What are the signs and symptoms of H1N1?

A: Symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people may experience vomiting and diarrhea. People also might be infected with the flu and have respiratory symptoms without a fever. Severe illnesses and deaths have occurred as a result of the illness.

Q: Who is at risk for H1N1 flu?

A: Like seasonal flu, there are certain people more at risk to contract the H1N1 flu. Those at-risk groups are children younger than five years old, but especially children younger than two years old; adults 65 years of age and older and pregnant women. People who have medical conditions including asthma, neurological and neurodevelopmental conditions, chronic lung disease, heart disease, blood disorders, endocrine disorders, kidney disorders, liver disorders, metabolic disorders, weakened immune system due to disease or medication and people younger than 19 years of age who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy also are considered to be at risk.

Q: What are the warning signs?

A:In children, look for fast breathing or trouble breathing, bluish skin color, decreased in amount of fluid intake, problems waking up or interacting with others, irritability with being held, improvement in flu-like symptoms but then return with fever and worse cough and fever with a rash. In adults, watch for difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen, sudden dizziness, confusion and severe or persistent vomiting.

Q: How does H1N1 compare to seasonal flu in its severity and infection rates?

A:Information CDC has analyzed since H1N1 was detected in the United States in April supports the conclusion the new flu has caused greater disease burden in people younger than 25 years of age then older people. At this time, there are relatively fewer cases and deaths reported in people 65 years old and older, which is unusual when compared with seasonal flu. However, pregnancy and other previously recognized high-risk medical conditions from seasonal influenza appear to be associated with increased risk of complications from the H1N1 virus.