H1N1 virus, also known as "swine flu," is an influenza virus that can spread from people who are infected to others through coughs and sneezes. When people cough or sneeze, they spread germs through the air or onto surfaces that other people may touch. H1N1 virus is not transmitted from pigs to humans or from eating pork products.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the current H1N1 flu outbreak to be a global pandemic based on its continuing spread around the world.
Learn what you can do to protect your family by viewing the information below. For information about H1N1, call the Flu Hotline at 877-903-KING (5464). TTY Relay: 711. Available in English and Spanish/Español.
Confirmed human cases of the H1N1 virus (swine flu) have been reported in multiple states. Internationally, there are reported outbreaks in Mexico, Canada and other countries around the world. Although most cases of the H1N1 human swine flu infection have been mild, health officials are closely monitoring and responding aggressively to the outbreaks in an ongoing effort to reduce the spread and severity of illness.
What is Public Health - Seattle & King County doing now? Describes Public Health's role in working with local area health care providers, monitoring and surveillance, and what Public Health has done to prepare for an influenza pandemic.
Stop Germs, Stay Healthy! is a public education campaign that encourages and supports healthy behaviors that are effective in limiting the spread of respiratory illnesses such as colds and influenza. Visit the link above to download colorful posters in multiple languages or order free hard copies (for King County, WA State street addresses only.)
This 8-page booklet offers a pandemic flu planning checklist, tips for preventing the spread of flu, and a guide to caring for someone with the flu. It was originally written in response to the threat of bird flu, but applies to swine flu or any kind of influenza.
Flu surveillance summaries Updated weekly during the flu season, learn about flu specimen testing, case statistics and regional news from around the Pacific Northwest.
Some items on this site are in Adobe PDF format. Adobe Acrobat Reader must be installed on your computer to open PDFs. Download and install Reader for free.