A day after Indiana state health officials shut down a pig barn at a state fair due to dozens of swine flu cases surfacing, reportedly stemming from visits to area fairs, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a statement saying a new strain of the flu has infected at least 145 people since July 12 — a significant jump from just 12 confirmed cases last week.
CDC’s Dr. Joseph Bresee said earlier that, “we’re seeing a big increase, and we think it’s a real increase.”
So far, most of the cases have been mild; two have been hospitalized and no deaths have been reported. Still, the CDC is advising people to take precautions when attending fairs. It is important for people to wash their hands before and after they are near swine and to not eat or drink while in close proximity to pigs.
As of today (August 10), human cases of H3N2v (the new strain of swine flu) have been confirmed in Indiana, Ohio, Illinois and Hawaii. Most of the cases have so far been localized in Indiana and Ohio.
H3N2v resembles a typical seasonal flu and most healthy people should recover in a few days without medical attention. But in rare cases, treatment with antiviral medication may be needed.
The CDC said that the cases this year have occurred after exposure to infected pigs. When a sick pig coughs or sneezes, virus-infested droplets enter the airway where they make their way onto surfaces and eventually onto people. People can also catch the virus by touching an infected pig and then touching their face.
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Continued: http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1112673708/swine-flu-infection-081012/
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