Ontario reports first pig-to-human H1N1 case
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The first Ontario case of a human contracting the H1N1 variant influenza virus from a pig has been confirmed, the province’s chief medical officer said Tuesday.
“It is a first for us in Ontario,” Dr. Arlene King told the Star.
King said an adult male, who is in critical but stable condition in hospital, came down with symptoms of the influenza virus strain after close contact with pigs either in Canada or the U.S. The case was confirmed Sunday after laboratory tests were conducted.
King refused to say where the case was confirmed.
“I think it’s important to remember that this does not pose a threat to the public (generally),” she told the Star, adding it is rare for the virus to leap from animals to humans, and even rarer for person-to-person transmission of the H1N1 variant virus.
“I would also like to stress that this is not a food safety issue; the consumption of properly cooked pork continues to be safe. Proper cooking of meats, including pork, kills all bacteria and viruses,” King stated in an earlier news release.
King said the man who came down with the virus has been around pigs in Canada and the U.S., so it’s not clear where he came in contact with the H1N1 variant flu, which is normally found in animals.
“It is very important that when people are in contact with animals that they wash their hands regardless of where they live. Once again we are recommending that people do good hand washing,” she said.
“There are evaluations being done by the laboratory to compare what we found to what has been found in the United States as we speak.”
King said the fact the case was quickly detected “attests to the strength of our surveillance system that we have in place in Ontario.”
King also reminded Ontarians that it is important to get their flu shots.
“This will protect you against seasonal influenza viruses that are expected to circulate. Everyone six months of age and older should get the seasonal flu vaccine each year,” she said in the news release.
During the 2009 H1N1 pandemic involving a different strain of H1N1 there were more than 11,500 H1N1-related deaths, 400 of them in Canada. The pandemic peaked in mid-November.
Symptoms of that H1N1 flu virus are similar to seasonal influenza including chills and cough followed by fever, loss of appetite, muscle aches and fatigue, runny nose, sneezing, watery eyes, throat irritation, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
In more severe cases, or in people with chronic conditions, pneumonia may develop, according to an earlier statement from King’s office.
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