The United Kingdom (UK) has detected its first human case of H1N2, a swine flu strain that has been reported in 50 people worldwide since 2005.
The case was discovered as part of routine national flu surveillance undertaken by the UKHSA and the Royal College of GPs.
H1N2 was later identified via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing and genome sequencing.
About Swine influenza
Swine influenza is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza viruses that regularly cause outbreaks of influenza in pigs.
Influenza viruses that commonly circulate in swine are called swine influenza viruses or “swine flu viruses.”
Human infections with swine flu viruses do occur – there have been 50 cases of A(H1N2)v reported globally in the past 20 years.
Swine flu is usually caused by three subtypes – H1N1, H1N2 and H3N2. They occasionally infect humans, usually after direct or indirect exposure to pigs or contaminated environments.
The strain that caused the 2009 pandemic – H1N1 – now circulates in humans seasonally and is different from the viruses circulating in pigs today. There have been 50 human cases of H1N2 reported globally since 2005.
