Swine flu linked to viral pneumonia

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 (UPI) -- Doctors say the H1N1 strain of influenza, commonly known as swine flu, is more likely to get deep into the lungs than seasonal influenza.

When that happens, patients tend to get viral pneumonia, The Washington Post reported.

The World Health Organization advised doctors to treat serious cases of H1N1 quickly with antiviral drugs and warned hospitals they may get a lot of extremely sick patients this winter.

A three-day conference on the flu ended Friday in Washington. The WHO brought together more than 100 experts to review what is known about swine flu.

The experts said that, as with seasonal flu, most people infected with the H1N1 strain experience only mild illness. But they also stressed differences. While seasonal flu kills the elderly and people with compromised immune systems, H1N1 targets the young.

"It's not like seasonal influenza," Nikki Shindo of the WHO said. "It can cause very severe disease in previously healthy young adults."