The symptoms of A/H1N1 flu in people are similar to the symptoms of regular human flu, including fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with swine flu. In the past, severe illness (pneumonia and respiratory failure) and deaths have been reported in A/H1N1 flu patients. Like seasonal flu, A/H1N1 flu may cause a worsening of underlying chronic medical conditions.

How serious is A/H1N1 flu infection?

Like seasonal flu, A/H1N1 flu in humans can vary in severity from mild to severe. From 2005 until January 2009, 12 human cases of A/H1N1 flu were detected in the U.S. with no deaths occurring. However, A/H1N1 flu infection can be serious. In September 1988, a previously healthy 32-year-old pregnant woman in Wisconsin was hospitalized for pneumonia after being infected with A/H1N1 flu and died 8 days later.