First human case of H1N2 swine flu detected in UK

The first human case of the flu strain H1N2 – which has been circulating in pigs – has been detected in the UK, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has announced

The UK’s first human case of swine flu strain H1N2 has been detected, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has announced.

Routine surveillance in GP surgeries picked up the case after the person suffered a mild illness, they were not known to have worked with pigs and have fully recovered.

The UKHSA said it is now contact tracing those close to the patient to prevent further spread of the virus.

The government body's Director of General Science and Research Isabel Oliver told ITV News more testing is being carried out but added it was "impossible to say" whether more cases would be discovered.

What do we know about the swine flu case?

The UKHSA did not reveal any information about the person but did say it was taking steps to increase surveillance in "parts of North Yorkshire."

It is not known how transmissible the strain is or if there could be other cases in the UK, at this stage.

It is also too early to say if the strain could have pandemic potential.

The UKHSA said the strain was similar to flu viruses currently circulating in pigs in the UK and has notified the World Health Organisation (WHO) of the latest case.

Chief veterinary officer, Christine Middlemiss, said: "We know that some diseases of animals can be transferred to humans, which is why high standards of animal health, welfare and biosecurity are so important.

She added: "Pig-keepers must also report any suspicion of swine flu in their herds to their local vet immediately."

Meera Chand, incident director at the UKHSA, said: "It is thanks to routine flu surveillance and genome sequencing that we have been able to detect this virus.

"This is the first time we have detected this virus in humans in the UK, though it is very similar to viruses that have been detected in pigs.

"We are working rapidly to trace close contacts and reduce any potential spread."

For those who suspect they may have the illness, the UKHSA’s advice for all respiratory symptoms remains the same – avoid contact with other people while they persist, particularly if they are old or have existing medical conditions.

What is swine flu?

Swine flu is usually caused by three influenza subtypes – H1N1, H1N2 and H3N2.

They occasionally infect humans, usually after direct or indirect exposure to pigs or contaminated environments.

All have been labelled as 'swine flu' in the past by various media outlets when reporting on the growth within humans and pigs.

Once they begin to fade and become seasonal, generally the moniker 'swine flu' is dropped, despite it still being a type of flu present in pigs.

The case on Monday related to H1N2.

There has been around 50 reported cases worldwide of the H1N2 strain in humans since 2005, none of which were genetically related to the strain reported on Monday.

In 2009 there was a pandemic in humans caused by H1N1, commonly referred to as swine flu.

That virus contained genetic material from viruses which were circulating in pigs, birds and humans in the 1990s and 2000s.

H1N1 is now circulating in humans seasonally and is no longer called swine flu.

It is different to the virus currently circulating in pigs.

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