By : Barnavies

Catastrophic insurance is great for people who don’t need to visit the doctor regularly but want to be covered in case of an emergency. And people who have a low regular coverage policy also could benefit from this policy, on.

Catastrophic Medical Insurance

If you have no other insurance and want to protect yourself, catastrophic insurance is important because of unforeseeable accidents and illness.

Form of policy which is specially intended to cover calamities, catastrophic insurance is designed to help people pay for major accidents and extensive medical care. The costs of prolonged or emergency treatment can get quite high, and this coverage can ensure that someone does not go bankrupt dealing with medical bills.

For many, it is a good investment even with a high deductible as opposed to paying for medical expenses out of pocket. These individuals will still have to pay for things like routine visits, medications, and so forth, but they can be assured that they will be provided for in the event of a major illness or accident. And very healthy people are good candidates for catastrophic coverage when they opt not to carry health insurance.

And before deciding on a particular catastrophic insurance plan, it is necessary to ensure that it provides the right kind of coverage. An ideal health insurance is one that provides coverage for the following expenses, Hospital expenses -includes room expenses, board and incidental service costs.

You may want to read our other guide about : pets insurance and horse insurance

General Description

Swine influenza (also swine flu) refers to influenza caused by any strain of the influenza virus endemic in pigs (swine). Strains endemic in swine are called swine influenza virus (SIV).

Swine flu is common in swine and rare in humans. People who work with swine, especially people with intense exposures, are at risk of catching swine influenza if the swine carry a strain able to infect humans. However, these strains rarely are able to pass from human to human. Rarely, SIV mutates into a form able to pass easily from human to human. The strain responsible for the 2009 swine flu outbreak is believed to have undergone such a mutation. This virus is named swine flu because one of its surface proteins is similar to viruses that usually infect pigs, but this strain is spreading in people and it is unknown if it infects pigs.

swine flu

In humans, the symptoms of swine flu are similar to those of influenza and of influenza-like illness in general, namely chills, fever, sore throat, muscle pains, severe headache, coughing, weakness and general discomfort. The strain responsible for the 2009 swine flu outbreak in most cases causes only mild symptoms and the infected person recovers fully in a few days.

Deadly Swine flu has panicked Mexico and is spreading to the USA. In Mexico with under one hundred deaths and two thousand infected reported the Mexican government has closed schools and all other public gatherings and soldiers are patrolling the streets after it was confirmed that human to human transmission is occurring and that the virus is a brand new strain which is seemingly affecting young, healthy people the worst, and that the bug is a never-before-seen intercontinental mixture of human, avian and pig viruses from America, Europe and Asia.

The influenza strain that has struck Mexico and the United States involves, in many cases, a never-before-seen strain of the H1N1 virus. The flu virus is notorious for its ability to mutate and evolve new features that allows it to escape the immune defense systems of its victims. Mexican army officer claims the Mexican government believes this virus may have been introduced deliberately by so far unknown sources.

As of April 24, 2009 these are the current statistics above:

• 149 dead in Mexico, 1,614 infected
• 40 infected in the United States
• 6 infected in Canada
• 10 infected in New Zealand
• 20 suspected infected in Spain
• 14 suspected in Britain
• 1 Infected in Israel

According to medical experts the virus is a very dangerous and deadly “never-before-seen form of the flu that combines pig, bird and human viruses” which consists of an intercontinental mix of viruses from North America, Europe and Asia and there is no known effective vaccine.

Rumsfeld played a key role in hyping an outbreak of swine flu back in the 1976 when he urged the entire country to get vaccinated. Many batches of the vaccine were contaminated, resulting in hundreds of sick people and 52 fatalities.

The fact that the properties of the strain are completely new, that the virus is spreading from people to people, and that the young and healthy are being hit worst, has disturbing parallels to the deadly 1918 pandemic that killed millions.

It is unclear as to why, if the virus is a brand new strain, that public health officials are so confident programs of mass vaccination, which are already being prepared, would necessarily be effective.

It certainly wouldn’t be the first time that deadly flu viruses have been concocted in labs and then dispatched with the intention of creating a pandemic.

From this fact, be sure that your pig or swine as lovely pets have great health and good conditions. So you never afraid to make direct contact with you pig. If not, pets insurance is other alternative way to prevent you and your pets.

Pet Food Industry Statistics

You will still have to research your options and find which pet industry statistics is right for you but pet businesses have been on an all time high and growing!

Pet lovers are everywhere and they enjoy spending money on their beloved pets on a regular basis. “When all the receipts are tallied, Americans will have spent $15.64 billion on pet food in 2007-approximately 44 percent of their total spending on PET CARE and products, according to Business Trend Analysts, a marketing research firm in Commack, N.Y.

Consequently, Business Trend Analysts predicts modest sales growth for dog food, cat food and other pet food in 2007.

Aspen Pet Industry Statistics

Aspen Pet Products, Inc. strives to develop innovative products that enhance the lives of pets and the families that love them.

• Pet spending has more than doubled from $17 billion in 1994 to a projected $35.9 billion for 2007, positioning the pet industry 60 percent larger than the toy industry ($20 billion) and 33 percent larger than the candy industry ($24 billion)
• Pet ownership is at an all time high, with 63% of all U.S. households owning a pet
• At the present time, it is estimated there are 73.9 million dogs, 90.5 million cats, 139 million freshwater fish and16.6 million birds in the U.S.
• 87% of pet owners reported that their pets are a good source of affection while 82% said having a pet makes them feel safer at home
• Women are the primary purchasers of pet products (78%) and the average age of people most likely to buy pet products is 46 years old

Aspen Pet Products’ story begins with a tree, a dog, and three men with a mission to make traveling with your dog, whether by foot or by car, an easier undertaking. With the initial invention of the EZ Hitch leash the company took off, and today collars and leashes account for over one-third of Aspen Pet’s revenue.

• Nine out of ten dog owners (93%) own a leash for their pet
• Among leash owners, 75% own nylon leashes, the material most preferred
• One out of ten leashes are made from chain or leather
• Currently 1% of leashes owned are reflective/illuminating, which are used more in multiple dog owning households and for medium and large sized dogs
• For two-thirds of leash owners, a new one is bought once every three or more years
• There has been a significant increase in the number of dog owners using a retractable leash from 35% in 2004 to 52% in 2007. Retractable leashes evidence more growth among owners of small and large sized dogs.
• In comparison, there has been a significant decline in the use of no-pull collars for dogs from 28% to 18% from 2004 to 2007
• Three out of ten (30%) dog owners have collars. Nylon is the fabric most preferred, noted by 56% of collar owners, followed by leather (20%) and cloth (15%)

Just thought you may e interested in reading this guide : Pets Insurance