The first human case of a new variant of swine flu has been identified in Britain, officials said.
The H1N2 infection, which is very similar to the infection circulating in pigs, was discovered during a routine flu screening test at a GP practice in North Yorkshire.
It is currently unknown how contagious the strain is and whether there may be further cases in the UK. It is also too early to tell whether this strain may have pandemic potential.
How concerned should we be about this?
Scientists said the identification of the case showed that the UK’s flu surveillance network was working well, with routine surveillance in GP practices identifying the case after a person had suffered a mild illness.
UKHSA said it is now carrying out contact tracing to prevent further spread of the virus.
Will the virus spread?
Since 2005, there have been about 50 human cases of the H1N2 virus reported worldwide, none of which were genetically linked to this new strain. It is unknown whether the victim worked with pigs and made a full recovery.
Expect the fact that this is not a completely new virus of unknown origin to be “somewhat reassuring” as it helps identify the possible source of infection. However, more detailed information about the specific strain is needed to fully understand the risk it may pose to humans.
Dr Andrew Catchpole, chief scientific officer at influenza specialist hVIVO plc, said: “All we know from the limited information at the moment is that the virus is related to the currently circulating swine virus, but importantly we We don’t know yet whether there is material.” Differences. This could cause the virus to be isolated from humans to pigs, which could change the ability of the virus to spread between people.
“Pigs can become infected with influenza viruses that come from both humans and birds. Thus, they are a common source of new flu strains that infect people. However, such infections usually do not spread between people or have very limited transmission before death. because viruses are usually unable to effectively replicate and transmit to people.”
Who is at risk?
While it is clearly good news that the person has fully recovered and experienced only a relatively mild illness, and that the strain does not appear to be very pathogenic, Dr. To summarize: Without a known risk of severe influenza for an infected person, it is impossible to say much about its consequences.
The only concern would be that there would be clear evidence of sustained person-to-person transmission of a virus that had not previously circulated in the community, leaving the community with little protective immunity. However, there is no evidence of this yet.
Scientists will also want to understand the age and health of the infected person before they became ill with the virus to understand whether they are part of a population known to be susceptible to influenza or someone who might otherwise be susceptible to him. influenza virus without intervention. .
The patient was assessed by his GP in North Yorkshire after developing respiratory symptoms. The strain was identified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and genome sequencing.
The UKHSA said people with respiratory symptoms should continue to follow existing advice: avoid contact with other people while they have symptoms and pay particular attention to vulnerable people and older people.
It said it was “monitoring the situation closely and taking action to improve oversight within existing schemes involving GP practices and hospitals in parts of North Yorkshire.”
“To facilitate case tracing and transmission assessment, people who are contacted and asked to get tested are encouraged to do so.”
What is swine flu?
H1N1, H1N2 and H3N2 are the main subtypes of swine influenza A viruses that are found in pigs and sometimes infect humans. Based on initial information, the UKHSA said the strain found in the UK was different from recent human cases of H1N2 in other parts of the world, but similar to viruses in British pigs.
In 2009, there was a human pandemic caused by the H1N1 influenza strain, also known as swine flu. It now circulates in people seasonally.
The first cases were confirmed on April 27, 2009 in passengers returning from Mexico. The first case of human-to-human transmission in the UK was announced on 1 May 2009. In the UK, the age group most affected were children aged 5 to 14 years.
Ian Jones, professor of virology at the University of Reading, said: “It is unlikely that the single case of H1N2 swine flu reported today represents more than in the past.” True, the fact that the person had a mild infection that resolved without hospitalization was consistent with previous experience.
“We must remember that surveillance programs may detect infections that may never have been seen due to the number of cases or severity, so a certain degree of reasonable tolerance needs to be exercised. “Not every new officer is a threat.”
Paul Hunter, professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia, said: “Overall, there is evidence that influenza A(H1N2) does not cause more severe illness than other, more common types of influenza.”
“In addition, person-to-person transmission of the virus does not appear to be very efficient, and long-term person-to-person transmission of the virus has not been reported.”
Source: I News
I’m Raymond Molina, a professional writer and journalist with over 5 years of experience in the media industry. I currently work for 24 News Reporters, where I write for the health section of their news website. In my role, I am responsible for researching and writing stories on current health trends and issues. My articles are often seen as thought-provoking pieces that provide valuable insight into the state of society’s wellbeing.