New swine flu ‘of mystery origin’ as experts fear it has been spreading for weeks
Health officials have been left baffled by the case of a patient in Yorkshire with a new strain of swine flu – despite apparently not working with pigs.
On Monday, the UK Health Security Agency revealed that an individual had tested positive for H1N2, a strain never before seen in humans in the UK. The virus is different to the H1N1 strain that caused a flu pandemic in 2009.
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.’
However, an investigation by MailOnline suggests the individual did not work with pigs.
It also revealed the patient first saw their GP with cold-like symptoms on November 9, but only received their results on November 23 – potentially exposing unknown numbers of others to the virus in between.
There have only been 50 cases of H1N2 swine flu in humans since 2005, with no evidence of human-to-human transmission – although the latest case appears to be genetically unrelated to other cases.
But some experts are worried the virus could have been spreading undetected for weeks.
‘It is entirely possible that it has been spreading in that time,’ said University of Reading microbiologist Dr Simon Clarke, speaking to MailOnline.
‘We don’t know how efficiently or in whom, but if this strain does transmit efficiently in people then it could have begun to spread reasonably widely.’
Professor Gary McLean, an immunologist at London Metropolitan University, added: ‘Symptoms do not appear to be very severe and the outbreak is not unexpected.
‘What is likely to be of more concern is how this individual in Yorkshire acquired the infection as there had been no contact with pigs.
‘This suggests transmission via another human and therefore a much larger number of infections than currently known.’
The H1N1 swine flu that sparked the 2009 pandemic is now one of many seasonal flu viruses circulating each winter, and can be spread between people. Symptoms include a headache, aching muscles, chills, sneezing, a runny nose and vomiting.
Like in humans, swine flu increases during the autumn and winter months, increasing the chances of those working with the animals to catch the virus. However, it is rarely deadly, and does not usually spread easily between humans.
Professor James Wood, an infectious disease epidemiologist from the University of Cambridge, told MailOnline: ‘The sample was reported to have been collected on November 9, now two-and-a-half weeks ago, from an individual who had no contact with pigs.
‘If this is correct, then it is highly likely that a number of other people had also been infected.’
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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