#17,594
Two weeks ago (see Michigan: Oakland County Fair Reports Influenza A Infection In Pigs) we saw a report on the detection of Influenza A in pigs at a country fair which ran from July 7-16. The subtype was not provided, and samples had been sent on to the National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa.
Last Thursday, we learned that the MDHHS had reported a Presumptive-Positive Swine Variant Infection From Oakland County Fair, in an exhibitor from neighboring Lapeer County, which was described as an H3 virus.
While details are limited to the brief Facebook announcement (below) from the Tuscola County Health Department, there is apparently another suspected swine variant case linked to the recently ended (July 29th) Tuscola County Fair.
TCHD has identified a Tuscola County resident with flu-like symptoms who attended the Tuscola County Fair in Caro last week. A lab is being tested for variant influenza- including Swine Flu.If you or someone you know develop any flu-like symptoms after visiting the Tuscola County Fair, please call your primary care provider or TCHD at 989-673-8114.For more information, visit https://CDC.gov/flu/swineflu/index.htm
Surprisingly, we haven't heard any further details on the Oakland County fair virus, and the Lapeer County case wasn't addressed in last week's CDC FluView report.
While Swine-variant (typically H1N1v, H1N2v, H3N2v) infections are generally mild, and don't transmit very well between people, they are assumed to have at least some pandemic potential.
The CDC routinely advises those who are at higher risk of serious flu complications (including children under 5, adults over 65, pregnant women, and those with certain chronic medical conditions), to avoid pigs and the swine barn altogether.
Hopefully we'll get some more information on these two suspected cases in Friday's FluView report.
