The second or first human case of influenza A (H1N2) was discovered in the United Kingdom and is similar to the virus currently circulating in the United States. The UK Health Safety Authority, also appointed by UKHSA, revealed that the case was detected outside the scope of national influenza surveillance and the source of the infection is currently unknown. The infected person had only some mild symptoms and fully recovered without requiring hospitalization.
The agency is continuing to investigate the source of the infection and will continue to trace the two close contacts of the infected person to prevent further spread of the virus. If symptoms develop or the test result is positive, contacts should be tested and advised if additional care is needed. The agency is also taking steps to strengthen clinics and hospitals in North Yorkshire, the northern region of England where the case was discovered.
Influenza A (H1N2) is similar to influenza caused by viruses that circulate in humans. “We have been able to detect this virus thanks to routine influenza surveillance and genome sequencing. This is the first time we have detected this virus in people in the UK, but it is very similar to the virus detected in us. We are rapidly detecting it Find nearby contacts and reduce any potential spread. In line with established protocols, an investigation is underway to find out how the person became infected and to confirm if there are other related cases,” explained Meera Chand, incident director at UKHSA.
The UK Health Safety Authority has formally notified the World Health Organization of the findings. Since 2005, there have been 50 cases of human infection with this influenza virus worldwide. The new case is the first to be discovered in the UK and has no genetic relationship to previous cases.