The influenza virus A subtype H1N1 , better known as A human H1N1, is a species of influenza virus type A of the influenza virus, belonging to the Orthomyxoviridae family. H1N1 has mutated into various subtypes including the Spanish flu, the swine flu, avian flu and bovine flu.
People with obesity, according to a new study , are more likely to be infected by it.
H1N1
The study analyzed data from more than 1,500 people in 330 households enrolled in the Nicaraguan Household Transmission Study, an ongoing community study that tracks the health of a community in Managua, Nicaragua.
Study participants were followed for 10-15 days and had swab tests and blood tests to confirm infection .
The results could be relevant to understanding the mechanisms by which infectious diseases such as influenza or the current coronavirus pandemic could affect different segments of the population, according to the researchers:
This research is important because obesity around the world is increasing rapidly. It has roughly tripled since the 1970s. We are getting much more obesity, now we are dealing with the pandemic, and it was just announced that there could be another potential swine flu pandemic. If obesity is associated with a higher risk and there is much more obesity, that could mean many more infections.