New swine flu strain found in UK: Know about symptoms and precautions here
swine flu has been identified in humans during a routine flu screening test, and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is concerned. A person from North Yorkshire was diagnosed with a strain of the flu that is similar to a virus found primarily in pigs.
The virus was first detected when a person from Yorkshire visited the general practitioner complaining of breathing problems. This was a part of routine national flu surveillance.
According to the UKHSA, they are still finding out how they were infected with the virus as they have not worked with pigs.
The infected person had mild symptoms and has now completely recovered. Meanwhile, the UKHSA is in touch with those people who were in close contact with the infected person. The health agency has also notified the World Health Organisation (WHO) regarding the latest development of the case.
According to the UKHSA, there have been 50 human cases with regards to the A(H1N2)v virus since 2005 across the world, but none of them were found infected with this strain.
It went on to say that it belonged to a «distinct clade» that differs from previous human cases but is comparable to the virus discovered in UK pigs.
The symptoms mostly involve the respiratory system. If a person shows symptoms, the first thing they should do is avoid contact with people, especially the elderly and those with existing medical conditions.
There is a difference between the H1N1 strain, which was the reason for the 2009 swine flu pandemic, and the A(H1N2)v strain. This is an influenza A subtype and is found in seven different species including humans, birds, and pigs. They are mostly found to remain in their own species.
According to the World Health Organisation, influenza viruses that infect
