The United Kingdom has reported the identification of the first human case of the flu strain A(H1N2)v, closely related to a virus currently present in pigs. The individual affected experienced a mild illness and has fully recovered, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). The case was identified as part of routine national flu surveillance, and the source of the infection remains unknown.
Meera Chand, the incident director at UKHSA, stated that while this is the first detection of the virus in humans in the UK, it closely resembles viruses found in pigs. Authorities are actively following up with close contacts of the case, and heightened surveillance measures are in place in surgeries and hospitals in North Yorkshire.
The statement from UKHSA highlighted that, based on early information, the recent infection in Britain differs from the approximately 50 other global cases of this strain identified since 2005. The development comes in the wake of the 2009 swine flu pandemic, which affected millions of people and was caused by a virus containing genetic material from viruses circulating in pigs, birds, and humans.
