The UK has discovered the first human case of a strain of influenza similar to the virus currently spreading among pigs. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) revealed on Monday that the case was discovered as part of national flu surveillance and that the source of infection is not yet known.
The man who was diagnosed with this strain of influenza – A(H1N2)v – had a mild form of the disease and has now made a full recovery. According to Sky News, the Briton was diagnosed with influenza when he went to his family doctor and complained of breathing problems.
“This is the first time we have discovered this strain in humans in the United Kingdom, although it is very similar to viruses that have been discovered in pigs,” said Meera Chand, one of the agency’s directors.
Authorities are monitoring close contacts of this man, and the situation is also being closely monitored in practices and hospitals in North Yorkshire, the northern region of England, where the case was discovered.
In 2009, the swine flu pandemic, caused by a virus containing genetic material from the virus circulating among pigs and birds, infected millions of people.
Based on preliminary information, the British agency said that the infection recently discovered in the United Kingdom differs from other human cases that have been discovered in several countries since 2005.
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