WASHINGTON, August 10, 2012 – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported today 153 cases of a strain of influenza virus related to swine, most of which occurred at county fairs, from July 12 to August 9.
All of the patients afflicted with the virus, H3N2, for whom contact information was available reported contact with swine or attended an agricultural fair where swine were present, according to the CDC. Two people were hospitalized as a result of their illness with no deaths.
From July 12 to August 9, a total of 153 cases of H3N2 influenza virus infections were reported in Indiana (120 cases), Ohio (31), Hawaii (one) and Illinois (one), according to the CDC. The patient in Hawaii was exposed to swine on the job, with no additional cases found in that state. The 152 patients reported from Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio resided in 27 counties.
CDC also noted that the H3N2 viruses identified since July 12, 2012, are similar to the 13 H3N2 viruses identified during July 2011–April 2012. All viruses shared a gene from the influenza H1N1 virus, dubbed “swine flu” during a breakout in 2009.
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