Influenza A identified in two Michigan residents exposed to pigs at Fowlerville Family Fair

[Shiloh]

Source: https://www.fox47news.com/news/infl...ts-exposed-to-pigs-at-fowlerville-family-fair

Influenza A identified in two Michigan residents exposed to pigs at Fowlerville Family Fair
WXYZ
4:35 PM, Aug 3, 2018
5 hours ago

LANSING, Mich. - Two cases of influenza A have been confirmed in local residents by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and the Livingston County Health Department.

The individuals were apparently exposed to pigs at the Fowlerville Family Fair. The fair took place July 23 through 28, and several pigs from the fair tested positive for swine flu on July 27.

?We are urging those who visited the swine barn at the Fowlerville Fair to monitor their health and follow up with their healthcare provider if they start feeling ill,? said Dr. Eden Wells, MDHHS chief medical executive. ?It can take up to 10 days for symptoms to appear and some individuals can develop serious complications.?...

 

[Shiloh]

Source: http://lansingcitypulse.com/article...ntract-flu-after-Fowlerville-Family-Fair.html

Aug. 6 2018 01:37 PM
Update: Guests contract flu after Fowlerville Family Fair
By Kyle Kaminski

MONDAY, AUG. 6 ? At least two people were diagnosed with influenza following exposure to virus-infected pigs at the Fowlerville Family Fair. And officials are keeping a sharp eye on others who have reported symptoms.

Additional tests this week will confirm whether the off-season spread can be tied to the six-day fair, as reports of flu-like symptoms continue to roll into her office, Livingston County Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Lindsay Gestro said. It?s still largely unclear how many people could have been exposed to the virus, she said.


"The testing takes a length of time," Gestro added. "We're still checking for secondary cases. These people could've gone to the fair and exposed themselves to others. Of course, we're monitoring for that.?


The 4-H pig barn caught the attention of local and state health officials last month after several exhibition pigs tested positive for an uncommon, influenza virus often labeled as ?Swine Flu.? Officials previously said the chances for human exposure were slim, but concerns grew when guests called to report symptoms of their own.


County Medical Director Donald Lawrenchuk said there haven?t been many confirmed cases of pig-to-human transmission. Officials at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, accordingly, were ?very interested in this particular outbreak.? Any off-season flu reports were ?very suspect,? Lawrenchuk said previously.


Teenage 4-H exhibitors on June 26 noticed about a dozen pigs set for auction, acting strange and looking drowsy. Officials quarantined the sickly swine while they assessed the developing situation. A troop of health officials, flanked by fair directors and 4-H leaders, quickly arrived on scene to investigate.


Every test came back positive for swine flu later the next day. Fair directors kept the pig barn closed for the final two days of the fair, but didn?t feel a need to halt ticket sales to the rest of the grounds. Signs to caution guests about what was happening inside the pig barn were also unnecessary...