Sky News just announced: a virus strain akin to swine flu has surfaced in an individual for the first time.
This is as reported through routine national flu surveillance in North Yorkshire. The affected person sought medical attention for breathing problems, leading to the diagnosis.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is actively monitoring the situation and has initiated steps to bolster surveillance within existing programs involving GP surgeries and hospitals. Meera Chand, Incident Director at UKHSA, highlighted that while this marks the first detection of the virus in humans in the UK, it closely resembles viruses previously identified in pigs.
The virus in question belongs to the influenza A(H1N2)v subtype, and globally, there have been 50 reported human cases since 2005. However, none of these cases were genetically related to the current strain identified in North Yorkshire. The UKHSA remains vigilant and is closely examining the situation to ensure a comprehensive understanding of this novel development.
