A possible flu outbreak in the U.S. and Mexico has health officials across the globe keeping an eye on developments.

It’s the perfect time to remind everyone that the biggest weapon we all have is simply washing our hands as often as possible.

Margaret Chan, the director-general of the World Health Organzation, said on Saturday that the outbreaks have the potential to cause a global pandemic and urged health authorities everywhere to be on alert for cases in their areas.

The situation is worst south of the border, where more then 1,000 have been diagnosed with a new strain of swine flu that is blamed for nearly 70 deaths in Mexico. The new H1N1 flu strain is a mixture of swine, human and avian flu viruses.

In the U.S., so far all the cases have been limited to California and Texas, where one family was under quarantine after a teenager tested positive for swine flu.

What’s of greatest concern is that the flu appears to be a new mutation of the swine flu that killed millions all over the world back in 1918.

The Centers for Disease Control has set up a page on its website that tallies the number of cases so far in the outbreak investigation. Click here to learn more.

It has many people asking, what is swine flu, and how does someone get it?

The CDC also has answers to these questions and more on its website. Some of them are listed below.

What is swine flu?
Swine Influenza is a respiratory disease in pigs caused by type A influenza viruses.

Is this swine flu virus contagious?
CDC has determined that this virus is contagious and is spreading from human to human.

What are the signs and symptoms of swine flu in people?
The symptoms are similar to regular human flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with swine flu. In the past, severe illness (pneumonia and respiratory failure) and deaths have been reported with swine flu infection in people.

How do you catch swine flu?
Spread of swine flu can occur in two ways:  Through contact with infected pigs or environments contaminated with swine flu viruses.  Through contact with a person with swine flu.

Are there medicines to treat swine flu?
Yes. CDC recommends the use of oseltamivir or zanamivir for the treatment and/or prevention of infection with these swine influenza viruses. Antiviral drugs are prescription medicines (pills, liquid or an inhaler) that fight against the flu by keeping flu viruses from reproducing in your body.

What can I do to protect myself from getting sick?
Since there is no vaccine available right now, common sense steps can best protect your health, such as: Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, then throw it away, wash your hands with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. (Use of alcohol-based hand cleaners is also effective), try to avoid close contact with sick people. If you get sick with influenza, it is recommended that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.

How many swine flu viruses are there?
Like all influenza viruses, swine flu viruses change constantly. Pigs can be infected by avian influenza and human influenza viruses as well as swine influenza viruses. When influenza viruses from different species infect pigs, the viruses can reassort (i.e. swap genes) and new viruses that are a mix of swine, human and/or avian influenza viruses can emerge. Over the years, different variations of swine flu viruses have emerged. At this time, there are four main influenza type A virus subtypes that have been isolated in pigs: H1N1, H1N2, H3N2, and H3N1. However, most of the recently isolated influenza viruses from pigs have been H1N1 viruses.

Can I get swine influenza from eating or preparing pork?
No. Swine influenza viruses are not food-borne illnesses and are not spread by eating pork products.