by Paul Mancini

N1H1 influenza is a virus that attacks the human immune system which in turn causes serious secondary illnesses (usually respiratory in nature). In a few cases the victim can die. This influenza virus gets its name from a type of flu virus that affects swine. Of course swine influenza resembles that of the one that infects swine. The abbreviation H1N1 is the official World Health Organization name of the virus and is derived from the medical terms hemaglutinin type 1 and neuraminidase type 1.