WILMINGTON — Eleven people who had known exposure to pigs at the recent Clinton County Fair have tested positive for a flu virus, but none of the cases have required hospitalization.
Moreover, because of the period of onset to contract swine flu after exposure, the Clinton County health commissioner does not expect any more potential swine flu cases among humans who visited the Clinton County Fair’s Hog Barn last week. State of Ohio officials shut down the hog barn on July 13 after swine flu was detected in a pig.
On Friday, Clinton County Health Commissioner Pamela Walker Bauer reported there now are 11 lab-confirmed cases of the H3N2 flu virus in people. Lab testing by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is still underway to see whether there is a connection to the specific variation of the swine flu, she said.
A total of about 13 people were reported sick with flu-like illness to the Clinton County Health District, but two of them did not test positive for the H3N2 flu virus, according to Walker Bauer.
Of the 11 lab-confirmed human cases of the H3N2 flu virus, the age range is from 7 months to 64 years old, reported Walker Bauer. The age bracket of 10 and younger has a higher level of incidence among the 11 cases compared to other age brackets, she said.
Of those 11 patients, eight are Clinton County residents, two are Warren Countians, and one lives in Highland County.
By gender, six are males and five are females.
All 11 patients reportedly are recovering, said the Clinton County health commissioner.
Also Friday, state officials said nearly 50 hogs at another county fair in Ohio were removed for slaughter after at least two animals tested positive for swine flu, according to The Associated Press (AP).
The Ohio Department of Agriculture says the hogs were removed from the Franklin County Fair on Wednesday for slaughter. The Franklin County Agricultural Society said Thursday that livestock areas have been disinfected.
State officials last week ordered approximately 300 hogs slaughtered after the discovery of swine flu cases at the Clinton County Fair, added the AP.
Agriculture Department spokesman Mark Bruce told The Columbus Dispatch the two incidents aren’t related and involved different strains of influenza. He said viruses have an easier time infecting the animals when the weather is hot and humid.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
