During July 12-16, 2012, the Indiana State Department of Health and the Indiana Board of Animal Health identified respiratory illness among swine and persons at a county fair held July 8-14. On July 16, specimens were collected from four persons with respiratory illness; two had become ill on July 12 and sought care at an emergency department, and two were identified as part of the subsequent public health investigation. All four persons were swine exhibitors or family members of swine exhibitors and had close contact with swine. On July 18, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction testing at the Indiana State Department of Health laboratory identified suspected influenza A (H3N2) variant (H3N2v) virus in all four specimens. On July 21, partial genome sequencing at CDC confirmed H3N2v virus with the influenza A (H1N1)pdm09 virus M gene; the viruses detected in the four specimens are similar to 12 viruses detected in 2011 and one detected earlier this year. None of the four persons were hospitalized, and all have fully recovered.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); Notes from the Field: Outbreak of Influenza A (H3N2) Virus Among Persons and Swine at a County Fair – Indiana, July 2012; MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2012 Jul 27;61:561. PMID: 22832938 [PubMed – in process]
[Editor’s note: Public Health departments in Ohio and Hawaii have recently reported similar findings in human cases of influenza-like illness. Direct or indirect swine contact is suspected in these cases as well. The key points to keep in mind are:
- Influenza viruses are not transmitted through contact with pork or pork products.
- Hand washing after contact with live animals is an important step in reducing the likelihood of contracting the virus.
- The total number of human cases of swine derived influenza virus suggests that viral transmission from swine to humans is extremely uncommon.
- Regular influenza vaccination may help reduce viral transmission from humans to swine and swine to humans.]