Washtenaw & Ingham County
# 6496
To no great surprise, another state has been added to the list of places where H3N2v flu virus – once again linked to swine exposure at a county fair – has been detected in humans.
This time it is south-central Michigan, and while the child resides in Washtenaw County, the exposure took place at the neighboring Ingham County Fair.
Today the Washtenaw County Health Department posted the following notice on their website:
Influenza A (H3N2) Variant Virus Identified in Washtenaw County
A human case of an influenza virus that normally infects pigs has been identified in a Washtenaw child. The child was exposed to swine at the Ingham County Fair in early August. This case is the first identified in Michigan. Most cases identified in other parts of the country have also been linked to agricultural events and fairs. The Washtenaw child is recovering.
Washtenaw County Public Health reminds all persons to use basic prevention to prevent the spread of illnesses and to use extra caution when in contact with animals. If you or your children have been exposed to pigs recently and are experiencing flu-like symptoms, please contact your health care provider.
In recent weeks we’ve seen more than 180 similar cases reported out of Ohio and Indiana (see CDC H3N2v Briefing), and thus far, the CDC has found no evidence of sustained and efficient community transmission.
As this virus appears to be fairly well entrenched in pig populations across the Midwest, and would appear fairly easily transmitted from pigs-to-humans, additional cases are likely to crop up as the fall county & state fair season continues.
Based on the prior history of this virus, limited human-to-human transmission may also have occurred in some instances. But thus far this virus hasn’t demonstrated the ability to sustain transmission in the community.
That could change over time, of course. Which is why emerging viruses like this require special attention.
For now, the public health threat from this virus remains low. The CDC is not advising county fairs to shut down swine exhibitions, but has issued guidance to Fair organizers on how to reduce the risk of infection.
Issues for Fair Organizers to Consider When Planning Fairs
Thousands of fairs take place across the United States each year, providing a fun venue for people to interact and show off their livestock, horticulture or agriculture projects. As you organize your local or state fair, you need to be aware of important information to help protect visitors and livestock. This information can help prevent illnesses associated with animals in public settings. This fair season, CDC is monitoring the occurrence of influenza caused by a specific H3N2 influenza virus that has been found in both people and pigs in a number of states. Some simple precautions are effective in reducing the spread of the virus—these include:
- Visitors to fairs and exhibitions, particularly to the animal barns including pigs, should receive information about disease risks and recommendations to protect visitors and animals from illness.
- Whenever possible, facilities should minimize human-animal contact. For detailed information refer to the NASPHV Animal Contact Compendium
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While these cases are not particularly alarming, there will be a good deal of interest to see whether this virus manages to compete with the seasonal flu strains that we expect to return this winter.
In the short run, I fully expect to see the case counts continue to rise, and it is likely additional states will be added to the list.
As the numbers increase, I’ll endeavor to update the table in my sidebar:
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