Swine influenza (H3N2) infection in a child and possible community transmission, Canada.
An influenza A virus (H3N2) of probable swine origin, designated A/Canada/1158/2006, was isolated from a 7-month-old hospitalized child who lived on a communal farm in Canada. The child recovered uneventfully. A serosurvey that used a hemagglutination-inhibition assay for A/Canada/1158/2006 was conducted on 54 of the 90 members of the farm. Seropositivity was demonstrated in the index patient, 4 of 7 household members, and 4 of 46 nonhousehold members; none had a history of hospital admission for respiratory illness in the preceding year. Serologic evidence for this strain of swine influenza was also found in 1 of 10 pigs (12 weeks-6 months of age) on the farm. Human infection with swine influenza virus is underrecognized in Canada, and because viral strains could adapt or reassort into a form that results in efficient human-to-human transmission, routine surveillance of swine workers should be considered as part of pandemic influenza preparedness.
Robinson
Joan L
JL
Public Health and Provincial Laboratory (Microbiology), Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. jr3@ualberta.ca
Lee
Bonita E
BE
Patel
Jagdish
J
Bastien
Nathalie
N
Grimsrud
Karen
K
Seal
Robert F
RF
King
Robin
R
Marshall
Frank
F
Li
Yan
Y
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D053122:Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission* / Q000662:veterinary / Q000821:virology*; D012698:Serologic Tests; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology*; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission
D000956:Antigens, Viral