The Brittany Regional Health Agency announced the news on Friday September 10, 2021. A case of human infection by an influenza virus of porcine origin, named A (H1N2) v, was detected in a man living in Brittany. The case was confirmed a week earlier by the National Reference Center (CNR) for respiratory infection viruses at the Institut Pasteur. A first in France.
What is swine flu?
We cannot really speak of swine flu but rather of influenza virus of swine origin. Several viruses have been circulating in recent months. About ten cases of human infection with the A (H3N2) v, A (H1N1) v and A (H1N2) v viruses of porcine origin have been detected since the beginning of the year 2021 in the United States, Canada , Australia, Taiwan, Denmark and Germany.
In 2009, the influenza A (H1N1) epidemic, which required a massive vaccination campaign in France, was caused – among other things – by swine flu viruses.
What are the symptoms in humans?
The rare cases of human infection are most often mild. The symptoms are those of an acute respiratory infection, with fever, sore throat, headache and cough.
The influenza A (H1N2) v virus should be tested “In any person exposed to pigs, and presenting a clinical picture compatible with an acute respiratory infection” and presenting a negative Covid test, warns Public Health France.
How is the infected patient?
The infected person, who lives in the Côtes-d’Armor, was admitted to intensive care at the Yves-Le Foll hospital center in Saint-Brieuc. His state of health no longer inspires concern. The man was ‘Exposed to live pigs in the week before symptom onset’ most “No symptomatic person has been detected to date in his close entourage”, according to Public Health France. There was therefore no human-to-human transmission.
What do we know about the A (H1N2) v virus?
The virus detected in Brittany contains a gene which belongs to the clade (to the group, Editor’s note) 1C.2.4. It is similar to the virus detected in pigs in Brittany for the first time in February 2020, which is actively circulating in pig herds, which are very numerous in Brittany.
The Institut Pasteur and the National Food Safety Agency (ANSES) continue their analyzes “To characterize this virus, and in particular to identify possible markers of adaptation to humans and virulence”, note Public Health France.
At this stage, there is no reason to believe that the influenza A (H1N2) v virus is causing an epidemic in humans in Brittany and France.
Can you be infected by eating pigs?
The answer is no. “The influenza virus of porcine origin is not transmissible to humans through the consumption of meat of pig origin, more generally through food”, assure the health authorities.
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