Since 2005, only 27 cases of H1N2 have been reported worldwide. (Representative)
Montreal:
Canadian health officials on Wednesday reported the country’s first case of a human infected with the H1N2 virus, a rare strain of swine flu.
The case, detected in the western province of Alberta in mid-October, appears to be isolated “and there is no increased risk to Albertans at this time,” local health officials said in a report. communicated.
“This is the only flu case reported in Alberta so far this flu season,” the statement said.
He added that the unnamed patient was showing mild flu-like symptoms, “was tested and then recovered quickly. There is no evidence at this time that the virus has spread further.”
Canadian health officials are examining the origin of the virus and making sure it has not spread.
Since 2005, only 27 cases worldwide have been reported in people infected with H1N2 – not to be confused with the more common H1N1 swine flu virus. There were no cases in Canada prior to this one.
The H1N2 strain is not a foodborne illness and is not transmissible to humans by eating pork or other pork products, officials said.
“This is a rare type of influenza in humans, usually contracted from exposure to infected pigs and known not to be easily transmitted from person to person,” wrote Theresa Tam, Chief Public Health Officer of Canada, on Twitter.
