A new strain of swine flu in humans continues to spread, health officials said Thursday, with more than 100 cases reported.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 145 cases of the influenza A (H3N2) variant have been found in four states since mid-July: 113 in Indiana, 30 in Ohio, one in Illinois and one in Hawaii.
The CDC says it expects the case count to increase. Two people were hospitalized, but both have been released, officials said.
The agency's numbers did not include seven new cases reported in Indiana. Dr. Gregory Larkin, Indiana state health commissioner, said the number of cases has risen to 120 as of Thursday.
"Surprisingly, the greatest, overwhelming percentage (of cases) is in people 16 years and younger," Larkin said. "As our investigation continues, we're seeing transmission from ill or infected swine, or hogs, to their handlers, which in most of these cases are kids."
Dr. Joseph Bresee, an epidemiologist in the CDC's Influenza Division, said that there has been a predominance of cases in children and young adults and that all of the cases have been associated with close or indirect exposure to swine, often at state or county fairs. The other pig-to-human transmissions occurred in farmers or veterinarians.
"This time of the year is the time when you have fairs around the country ... thousands of them," Bresee said. "That accounts for the increased transmission more than anything else."
The CDC says people exposed to pigs should take precautions to protect themselves from this new strain of flu, namely:
• Wash your hands with soap and water before and after touching pigs.
• Don't drink or eat near pigs, and don't take food into animal areas.