The Punjab government notified swine flu (H1N1) under the Epidemic Disease Act.

The notification issued by the Health and Family Welfare Department said all hospitals (government as well as private) will have to inform the Department of Health about a case of ILI (Influenza like Illness) having chronic diseases, so that such cases are treated at the earliest and proper guidelines of the government is followed.

All hospitals will have to keep a suspected as well as confirmed case of swine flu in isolation in order to contain the spread of the disease. All hospitals will have to inform the Health department in case a suspected or confirmed case of swine flu is reported.

The treatment of swine flu is provided free of cost to all the patients as recommended by the Government. All private and Government hospitals will have to abide to this notification.

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Swine flu, also known as the H1N1 virus, is a relatively new strain of an influenza virus that causes symptoms similar to the regular flu. It originated in pigs, but is spread primarily from person to person. Swine flu made headlines in 2009 when it was first discovered in humans and became a pandemic. Pandemics are contagious diseases affecting people throughout the world or on multiple continents at the same time.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the H1N1 pandemic over in August of 2010. Since then, the H1N1 virus has been known as a regular human flu virus. It continues to spread during flu season like other strains of the flu. Like other strains of the flu, H1N1 is highly contagious, allowing it to spread quickly from person to person. A simple sneeze can cause thousands of germs to spread through the air. The virus can linger on tables and surface areas like door knobs, waiting to be picked up.

The best means of dealing with swine flu is to prevent it. Hand sanitization is important to stop the spread of the virus, and staying away from infected people will help stop person-to-person transmission.

Swine flu is caused by a strain of influenza virus that usually only infects pigs. Unlike typhus, which can be transmitted by lice or ticks, transmission usually occurs from person to person, not animal to person.

Swine flu is very contagious. The disease is spread through saliva and mucus particles. People may spread it by: sneezing, coughing and touching a germ-covered surface and then touching their eyes or nose.