The United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) reported this Monday that it has detected the first case of swine flu in a human being.

The contagion was detected during “a routine monitoring process” of the flu virus, after testing positive in a test carried out by this person’s doctor when presenting “respiratory symptoms”, the UKHSA explained today in a statement.

The Agency has indicated that andThe individual suffered from a “mild illness” and that he has “fully recovered” from the H1N2 swine flu virus subtype.

Swine flu does not infect humans

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) on its website, swine flu viruses generally do not infect humans, although outbreaks have occasionally been reported in people in direct contact with pigs.

There are also some documented cases of transmission between people. In this sense, the UKHSA indicated that “the source of infection has not yet been determined”, so it “remains under investigation.”

“We are working quickly to trace close contacts and reduce any possible spread. In accordance with established protocols, investigations are carried out to find out how the individual acquired the infection and evaluate whether there are more associated cases,” according to the agency’s incident director, Meera Chand, in the note.

Likewise, its chief veterinarian, Christine Middlemiss, assured that “specialized scientific and veterinary knowledge” is being provided to reinforce the UKHSA investigation into this first case detected in the United Kingdom.

“Pig farmers should also immediately inform their local veterinarian of any suspected swine flu in their herds,” the expert added.

What is swine flu?

Swine influenza virus is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by the influenza type A virus and does not usually infect humans. In fact, since 2005, according to data revealed by the UKHSA of the United Kingdom, only 50 infections of this disease have been recorded, and none of them are related to the aforementioned strain.

How is it spread?

The symptoms of this swine flu, in the case of pigs, are respiratory, such as difficulty breathing, runny nose, coughing or sneezing. The virus can be spread when an infected pig (or an infected person) coughs or sneezes and droplets containing the virus spread into the air.

However, some pigs infected with this virus may not present symptoms related to the disease.