What is the Incubation Period for Swine Flu?

In order to have a better understanding of what we can do for swine flu preparedness it is important to understand the incubation period for swine flu. Firstly, it is important to know that the incubation period for any disease refers to the amount of time it takes for symptoms to appear after one has been infected with a certain bacteria or virus, such as the h1n1 virus.

An official report from the White House states that the incubation period for swine flu is approximately 24-48 hours. This is consistent with the typical incubation period for most flu viruses. However, since the swine flu is such a new virus this is a rough estimate and it would be a good idea to keep an eye out for symptoms for as long as 10 days after suspected exposure to the virus for better swine flu preparedness. In most cases found in the U.S. the typical incubation period for swine flu is from two to seven days.

The typical swine flu side effects are similar to those of the regular cold, they include runny, stuffy nose, sore throat, fever and coughing. The swine flu can spread via sneezes and coughing and can also live on surfaces for a short while which means the virus can also be contracted by touching a surface that someone infected with h1n1 has touched or sneezed on.

So practice the common flu safety tips such as washing hands and avoiding others who are sick in order to avoid the swine flu side effects.

The information supplied in this article is not to be considered as medical advice and is for educational purposes only.