H1N1 (Swine) Flu may present without a fever

I have been critical of the panicky tone that mainstream media stories about H1N1 (i.e. Swine) Flu have taken on. During slow news times, it has been the default story with the clear undertone - "We're all gonna die!"

But the H1N1 truly is a weird mutation of the virus, and it is preventing doctors from always getting a tight grip on what they are fighting. The newest wrinkle is H1N1 infection may NOT spike a fever in some patients. Fever is used almost universally as the sign of a serious flu, and the lack of this in many Mexican patients may indicate that American flu counts may be low. The virus is also presenting with diarrhea, which is not typical of most influenza infections.

The moral of the story? If you feel sick, and there is no clear cause like allergies or that week-old slice of moldy pizza you ate last night, go to the doctor for diagnosis. Properly treated, H1N1 is easily cured. Left untreated, it can be deadly... and highly infectious.