Overall, the spread of this virus is always of alarm to Tennessee state health officials. This paper will provide background information on the H1N1 virus and analyze the complications which occurred during the 2010 outbreak in Tennessee. Nature of the Problem

Swine flu (H1N1) or Spanish flu as it was once called, originated in the 1700's. Prior to 1918 it was known that humans caught the disease on occasion, but the actual root of the disease was known (Zimmer, 2009). In 1918, however, the disease appeared simultaneously in both humans and swine. This strain of H1N1 resulted in 30 million casualties due to the severe respiratory issues caused by the virus (Zimmer, 2009). The connection was further proven in 1933 by Robert Shope who cured test pigs infected with the disease by injected the sick animals with human serum containing the flu...

This breakthrough was a vital first step to the later development of a vaccine. The virus continued to be a problem among people until 1957 when it seemingly disappeared from the planet, but then reappeared in a Fort Dix, New Jersey pig farmer in 1976 resulting in another full outbreak of the disease (Zimmer, 2009). After this outbreak, the virus seemed to blend with another strain of the flu and was not a threat again until 2009.
The current strain of the swine flu is of further concern to state officials because of its more virulent ability to re-infect those who have already had the disease. According to the CDC, the typical influenza virus has a 5% chance of reinfecting those who actively work with infected patients (Carafano, 2009). The swine flu strain, however, has a reinfection rate of 20%, meaning one in