Alberta has confirmed a rare case of H1N2 swine flu in a human, but there is no risk to the public, according to Alberta’s top doctor.
Chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw said the isolated case happened in central Alberta in mid-October. There is no evidence of transmission beyond the one person who contracted the virus.
Influenza A (H1N2)v is rarely seen in humans, with only 27 cases reported around the world since 2005. This is the first reported case in Canada.
“All (past cases) have been linked to direct or indirect contact with swine, and none of the previously reported cases have caused sustained human-to-human transmission,” said Hinshaw.
While rare in humans, the virus is fairly common in pigs, where it is known to cause breathing difficulties and fever.
Dr. Keith Lehman, Alberta’s chief provincial veterinarian, said Canada typically sees 10 to 30 swine cases of H1N2 every quarter in western Canada, adding it has become a bit more prevalent in the past few years, along with other strains of influenza.
Officials stressed that H1N2 is not a food-related illness. It is not transmissible through pork meat or pork products.
Hinshaw said the patient in this case had mild symptoms and quickly recovered. The person showed up at an emergency room with flu-like symptoms. The virus was detected because the province routinely screens for influenza in emergency room samples.
The province is working with both Alberta Agriculture and Forestry and Alberta Health Services to locate the source of the virus and verify there has been no other spread. Hinshaw said public health officials will contact individual farms that may have connections to this case.
While the investigation is ongoing, Hinshaw said she could not give details on how this patient may have contracted the virus, although she did rule out any slaughterhouse connections.
This has been the only case of influenza detected so far in Alberta this flu season according to Hinshaw. AHS is retroactively testing COVID-19 samples from the past two weeks for influenza, although no cases have been found.
“Starting today, AHS will also proactively offer influenza testing to residents in parts of central Alberta if they are presenting for COVID-19 testing at an AHS assessment centre,” said Hinshaw.
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