Coles County, Illinois
# 6485
In what I expect will become an increasingly common occurrence, another state (Illinois) has confirmed an H3N2v infection, this time in a child who attended the Coles County Fair last week.
The child has not been hospitalized, and an investigation is underway to try to determine how this child contracted the virus.
The CDC will provide an update to the press at 1pm today in anticipation of the release of updated numbers in tomorrow’s FluView Report.
Here is the press release from the Illinois Department of Health.
State Health Department Confirms H3N2v Influenza Case
Common flu precautions recommended
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) laboratory has confirmed one case of what is known as the H3N2v influenza virus, which has now been reported in four states this year – Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. IDPH is working with local, state and federal health officials, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Illinois Department of Agriculture and the Coles County Health Department, to identify how a child, who attended the Coles County Fair, contracted the virus last week. This child has not been hospitalized. CDC is conducting additional laboratory testing.
H3N2v is a variant form of influenza A, which was first detected in 2011. The CDC is currently reporting more than a dozen cases in the U.S. this year, but CDC will update its numbers later today and they are expected rise dramatically. Most infections have occurred following contact with swine, and cases of the virus being transmitted from person to person are rare. So far, the severity of illnesses associated with this virus in people has been similar to the severity of illnesses associated with seasonal flu virus infections.
“The H3N2v virus is relatively new, but the Illinois Department of Public Health, the Illinois Department of Agriculture and our federal partners are monitoring this situation closely,” said IDPH Director Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck. “We want you to enjoy your time at the state or county fair, so one key thing to do to stay healthy is to wash your hands frequently, especially if you are around swine.”
The state health department and the state agriculture department have increased hand washing stations on the fair grounds and provided guidance and prevention recommendations to fair exhibitors, local health departments and health care providers. The department of agriculture looks at every animal at the state fair grounds and a veterinarian is on site.
