Pigs Under Scrutiny at Midwest State Fairs After Flu Outbreak: New virus can pass from pigs to people
People flocking to agricultural fairs across the United States were warned on Friday to be cautious around pigs after reports this week of nearly a dozen swine flu cases linked to attendance at fairs where sick pigs were present.
Ten new cases of influenza A (H3N2) variant were reported in Ohio and one in Indiana associated with attendance at agricultural fairs. Another case was reported from Hawaii.
“All of this week’s reported cases occurred in people who had direct or indirect contact with swine prior to their illness,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta said in a statement.
The reports had veterinarians at the Ohio and Indiana state fairs testing the animals for infections. Two hogs tested positive and were sent home from the Ohio State Fair, which ends on Sunday. No swine were found to be infected at the Indiana State Fair, which started on Friday and runs through August 19.
Missouri, Iowa and Illinois state fairs start next week. Minnesota’s fair starts later in August.
In Butler County, Ohio, 10 human cases have been confirmed and 10 more people are being tested, said Patricia Burg, director of the county’s health department. There have been no hospitalizations so far.
The hogs exhibition remained open Friday at the Ohio State Fair in Columbus, where veterinarians were checking the remaining animals as the fair winds down, said Erica Pitchford, spokeswoman for the Ohio agriculture department.