Swine flu has morphed and it is in the UK
A new strain of swine flu has been recorded in a patient in Britain for the first time, health officials have revealed.
The unidentified individual visited their GP with ‘respiratory symptoms’, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said.
The virus, known as H1N2, is different to the H1N1 strain that caused 457 deaths in the UK during the 2009 swine flu pandemic.
The UKHSA said the patient ‘experienced a mild illness and has fully recovered. The source of their infection has not yet been ascertained and remains under investigation.’
It added: ‘As is usual early in emerging infection events, UKHSA is working closely with partners to determine the characteristics of the pathogen and assess the risk to human health.’
Close contacts of the patient are being followed up and will be offered testing.
In addition, the health agency reminded people with any respiratory symptoms to avoid contact with other people, particularly the elderly and those with existing medical conditions.
‘It is thanks to routine flu surveillance and genome sequencing that we have been able to detect this virus,’ said Meera Chand, incident director at UKHSA. ‘This is the first time we have detected this virus in humans in the UK, though it is very similar to viruses that have been detected in pigs.
‘We are working rapidly to trace close contacts and reduce any potential spread. In accordance with established protocols, investigations are underway to learn how the individual acquired the infection and to assess whether there are any further associated cases.’
In August, an individual in Michigan tested contracted the same strain of swine flu, but was not hospitalised and the World Health Organisation (WHO) said there was ‘no reported evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission’.
Like in humans, swine flu increases during the autumn and winter months.
Chief veterinary officer Christine Middlemiss said: ‘We know that some diseases of animals can be transferred to humans – which is why high standards of animal health, welfare and biosecurity are so important.
‘Through our animal and human surveillance systems we work together to protect everyone. In this case we are providing specialist veterinary and scientific knowledge to support the UKHSA investigation.
‘Pig keepers must also report any suspicion of swine flu in their herds to their local vet immediately.’
Three major subtypes of swine flu have been known to infect humans in the past. H1N1, the strain behind the 2009 pandemic, H3N2, and H1N2, the strain just recorded in the UK.
Since 2005 there have been a total of 50 human cases of H1N2 pig-to-human transmission, none genetically related to this strain.
The major concern with swine flu and other diseases transmitted by animals is their potential to then spread by human-to-human contact, as happened during the 2009 outbreak, and more recently the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic.
H1N1, the virus behind the swine flu pandemic, is now one of many types of flu circulating in humans seasonally and has evolved to be distinct from viruses circulating in pigs.
The first case of swine flu during the pandemic was detected in February in La Gloria, Mexico, in a young boy who later became known as ‘patient zero’.
On June 11, 2009, the WHO officially declared a pandemic.
What are the symptoms of swine flu?
For most people, swine flu is now a mild infection and generally lasts around a week. The main symptoms are:
- A headache
- Aching muscles
- Chills
- Sneezing
- A runny nose
- Loss of appetite
- Vomiting
- Diarrhoea
However, pregnant women, children under 5, people over 65 and those with underlying health conditions are more at risk of complications if they become infected.
Earlier this year the government brought forward the start of the winter flu vaccination programme thanks to the double-whammy of a new Covid variant, Pirola, and a resurgent strain of the H1N1 swine flu.
Swine flu has been circulating at high levels in recent months during Australia’s winter season, which often serves as an indicator of the viruses that will affect the northern hemisphere.
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