A teenage girl living in central Taiwan was earlier this year diagnosed with the novel influenza A virus subtype H1N2v, the third such case in Taiwan, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said on Thursday.
The girl, who had no recent travel history, had a fever, congested nose and muscle aches on March 13 and went to a clinic the next day when her condition deteriorated, said CDC Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞).
A rapid antigen test came back positive for the influenza A virus, prompting doctors to send her home with a prescribed antiviral flu medication.
Photo: Lin Hui-chin, Taipei Times
However, sputum cultured from the patient came back negative, and as a result, the CDC conducted further gene sequencing and discovered that the teenager had contracted the HIN2v virus.
She came into contact with swine from working at a pig farm after school, Lo said.
Three close contacts were identified, but none tested positive for the H1N2v virus, he added.
The virus was also not detected in any of the pigs on the farm where the girl worked, he said.
Taiwan’s first human H1N2v infection was reported in April 2021, when a five-year-old girl in central Taiwan was diagnosed with the influenza A variant.
The nation’s second case was reported in October last year, when a seven-year-old girl, also in central Taiwan, sought medical attention after developing symptoms on Sept. 24.
Although all three cases involve girls who had contact with pig farms in central Taiwan, it has been determined that they are not connected, the CDC said.
Lo said the CDC has held discussions with local agricultural agencies and medical professionals to determine that the third case, much like others reported around the world, showed no sign of human-to-human transmission.
The girl likely contracted the virus either directly from the pigs at her work, or by contact with the virus in her workplace environment, he added.
With Taiwan reporting a third case, Lo said the CDC would submit the case to the WHO based on the International Health Regulations.
Flu viruses that normally circulate in pigs are called “variant” viruses when they are found in people. Variant influenza A viruses do not usually infect people and are very different from the seasonal flu.
The virus does not cause more severe illness than other influenza viruses, and no infections through eating meat products have been reported.
Lo said the CDC would continue to promote inoculation through flu vaccine shots in industries that work with poultry.
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