First human case of swine flu strain discovered in UK

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) say it's found the first human case of swine flu strain H1N2 in the UK.

And yep, that's very similar to what's been circulating in pigs.

It is reported that the person involved is not known to have worked with pigs and has now fully recovered.

Routine surveillance in GP surgeries picked up the case after they suffered a mild illness.

It's not currently known just how transmissible the strain is or if there could be other cases in the UK.

And at the moment, it's too early to say if H1N2 could have the potential to cause a pandemic.

There are reportedly 50 known cases of the flu strain in humans around the world.

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“It is thanks to routine flu surveillance and genome sequencing that we have been able to detect this virus," said Meera Chand, incident director at the UKHSA.

“This is the first time we have detected this virus in humans in the UK, though it is very similar to viruses that have been detected in pigs.

“We are working rapidly to trace close contacts and reduce any potential spread.

“In accordance with established protocols, investigations are under way to learn how the individual acquired the infection and to assess whether there are any further associated cases.”