The British media is sounding the alarm as the first case of the H1N2 swine flu virus has been identified in an individual in North Yorkshire. People experiencing respiratory symptoms and pig farmers are urged to be extra vigilant to minimize the risk of zoonosis – the transmission of a virus from animals to humans. However, this may not be an immediate concern with this swine flu virus, as only 50 human infections have been reported globally since 2005.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has confirmed the detection of Influenza A(H1N2)v in one person. The case was identified through routine national flu surveillance conducted by the UKHSA and the Royal College of GPs (the British association of general practitioners). The UKHSA has formally notified the World Health Organization (WHO) of the discovery.
Why the concern? This is linked to the outbreak of the Mexican flu in 2009, another swine flu virus variant (H1N1) that jumped to humans, rapidly spreading worldwide, affecting more than 150 countries, and causing over 180,000 deaths. It was notably the first global influenza pandemic since the Spanish flu of 1918. Following the Mexican flu and certainly after the Covid-19 pandemic, concerns about new zoonoses are growing. The likelihood and impact of such events increase exponentially in relation to the growing world population.
Contact tracing is underway, and British health authorities are rightfully raising alarms. Health Secretary Victoria Atkins commends the “thorough and extensive screening and monitoring program” of the UKHSA on the BBC. Health officials are conducting contact tracing, investigating how the person contracted the infection, and whether there are other cases linked to the infection, according to Meera Chand, the incident director of the UKHSA. Surveillance through local medical facilities in parts of North Yorkshire will also be intensified.
“At this time, it is unknown whether the person worked with pigs, and investigations are ongoing to determine the source of the infection and assess the risk to human health,” reports The Guardian. The individual had “respiratory symptoms, was mildly ill, and has fully recovered.”
Human infections from swine flu viruses do occur, with 50 cases of A(H1N2)v reported worldwide in the past 20 years. Conversely, pigs can contract swine flu from humans. The risk of a zoonosis developing into a pandemic is particularly high when human-to-human transmission occurs; however, this is not the case with the H1N2 virus, emphasizes the British National Pig Association (NPA).
The UKHSA advises individuals with respiratory symptoms to follow the usual precautions: avoid contact with others as long as symptoms persist, especially with older individuals and those with vulnerable health. A(H1N2)v does not cause “a more severe illness than other commonly circulating flu strains,” says Paul Hunter, a professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia.
Nevertheless, pig farmers are asked to promptly report any signs indicative of swine flu to their local veterinarians, highlighting the deep-seated fear of zoonoses.
