An Ionia County resident who exhibited pigs earlier this month at the Kent County Youth Fair now has a confirmed case of swine flu, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services reported on the evening of Friday, Aug. 14.
The person initially was tested by the state Bureau of Laboratories and a diagnosis of an influenza A H1N2 variant was confirmed Aug. 14 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Several of the swine were sick and at least one pig died suddenly at the fair, which took place Aug. 3-8 at the Grand Agricultural Center of West Michigan in Lowell, said Jennifer Holton, chief crisis communications director for the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
As soon as pigs showed symptoms of illness, fair leaders closed the swine barn to the public, Holton said. Sick hogs were transported off site to isolate them and protect the healthy pigs.
Since then, more than a dozen people who attended the fair have reported flu-like symptoms and have agreed to undergo testing, said Christina Anthony, a spokesperson for the Kent County Health Department.
She explained that it can take several days to confirm swine flu cases because samples must be collected from the people who have symptoms, then sent to the state health department’s Bureau of Labs. If the initial tests show positive results for either H1 or H3 variants of the influenza A virus, they are sent to the CDC for confirmatory testing as swine flu.
“While the risk to the general public remains low, we want visitors who attended the Kent County Youth Fair to be alert to symptoms and take appropriate precautions,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, Michigan’s chief medical executive, in a statement. “Anyone who develops flu‑like symptoms after possible exposure should contact their health care provider and let them know about their recent contact with pigs at the fair. Individuals who are sick should stay home until they have fully recovered.”
Swine flu includes several variants of the influenza A virus that most commonly spreads among pigs but sometimes can infect humans and birds, too.
Although the pig that died was not tested for swine flu, other symptomatic hogs at the fairgrounds, including those with fevers of 105 degrees or higher, were tested by the Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. Those tests were positive for swine flu, Holton said.
Both Kent County and state health officials say they have been reaching out to swine exhibitors at the fair and to their families to identify people who may have been exposed to influenza from infected pigs. In addition, the Kent County Health Department has alerted health care providers to watch for patients who report respiratory symptoms and had exposure to pigs or visited the fair.
“It’s not unusual for flu viruses to occur in pigs, and while rare, those flu viruses can be transmitted to people by sick pigs,” Dr. Nora Wineland, the state veterinarian for MDARD, said in a statement.
“MDARD encourages exhibitors to follow disease prevention practices and work with their veterinarian if they suspect illness in an animal. It is still safe to enjoy your local fair, and visitors are encouraged to follow simple hygiene practices to help keep both people and animals healthy.”
How does swine flu spread?
Swine flu most often spreads among pigs and leaps to humans with close contact — mainly through droplets when infected pigs cough and sneeze.
People have been infected following exposure to sick animals at agricultural fairs in the past when those droplets land in a person’s nose or mouth or if they are inhaled. People cannot get swine influenza from eating properly prepared pork or handling pork products.
In 2023, a Lapeer County child and a Tuscola County resident were the first people in the United States that year to be infected with swine flu after being exposed to sick pigs at the Oakland County Fair and the Tuscola County Fair.
Swine flu strains also have been known to reassort, emerging as new variants that are more easily transmissible among humans. That happened in 2009, during the global H1N1 swine flu pandemic. The CDC estimated that 60.8 million people in the United States contracted swine flu between April 2009 and April 2010, causing 274,304 hospitalizations and 12,469 deaths.
What are the symptoms of swine flu?
Swine flu symptoms are similar to those caused by other seasonal flu viruses, according to the Kent County Health Department. Symptoms typically appear between one and 10 days after exposure and can include:
“Anyone who develops flulike symptoms after having contact with pigs at the fair should contact the Kent County Health Department and let their health care provider know about their exposure,” said Dr. Adam London, the county’s health officer.
Testing can be arranged through the Kent County Health Department’s communicable disease unit by calling 616-632-7228.
Who’s at high risk if they get swine flu?
Variant influenza infections, including the influenza A H1N2 swine flu variant, can sometimes cause severe disease, even in healthy people, MDHHS reported.
Severe illness can include such complications as pneumonia, which may lead to hospitalization and sometimes death. People who are at highest risk of developing complications if they contract a variant influenza infection include:
Prescription antiviral drugs such as Tamiflu and Relenza are effective in treating swine flu. Early treatment works best and may be especially important for people with a high-risk condition. There is no human vaccine for swine flu.
How can I avoid getting sick?
Attending swine exhibits at agricultural fairs can increase your risk because pigs from different places come into close contact with one another and with people, the CDC says.
State health officials urge the public to take the following precautions when they visit farms, fairs and exhibits:
Contact Kristen Shamus: kshamus@freepress.com. Subscribe to the Free Press.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ionia County resident has swine flu after exhibiting at youth fair
Reporting by Kristen Jordan Shamus, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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By Kristen Jordan Shamus, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
