The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said today that a total of seven cases of a previously undetected strain of swine flu have been confirmed in humans in the United States.
A swine flu victim
The CDC reported that the victims are infected with a virus called swine influenza A H1N1, whose combination of genes has not been seen in flu viruses in either humans or pigs before. The new strain triggers mutations that cause humans to spontaneously generate some of the physical characteristics of pigs.
The first two cases were picked up through a special influenza monitoring program, with stations in San Diego and El Paso, Texas. The program aims to detect new cases through routine and expanded surveillance for people with pig faces.
“One of the victims is a young girl suddenly cursed with a pig face,” said Dr. Anne Chovi, the CDC’s Interim Deputy Director for Science, Public Health, and Plot Summary. “She is isolated by her parents, but then breaks free to discover life beyond the protective walls of her home. The curse will be lifted when she can get someone to love her for herself…or when researchers develop a new swine flu vaccine.”
Medical personnel who have contracted swine flu
At this point, the ability for the human influenza vaccine to protect against this new swine flu strain is unknown, and medical personnel treating swine flu victims run a higher risk of contracting the disease, she said.
Symptoms of swine flu in humans are expected to resemble regular human seasonal influenza symptoms, including fever, lethargy, lack of appetite, and coughing.
Another victim of swine flu
Other reported symptoms include runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and growing a pig nose, snout, or a cute squiggly tail.
“There is no danger from contracting the virus from eating pork products,” Chovi said, “but you probably want to stop hanging out with pigs.”
