Daijiworld Media Network - Madrid

Madrid, Mar 1: Spain has alerted the World Health Organization (WHO) about what it believes to be a possible person-to-person transmission of the swine flu virus in its A(H1N1)v variant, a spokesperson for health authorities in the Catalonia region confirmed to Reuters on Friday, February 27.

In a subsequent statement, the Catalan health department assessed the risk to the general population as “very low”. Officials said the infected individual did not exhibit flu-like respiratory symptoms and that tests conducted on close contacts showed no further transmission of the virus.

According to an earlier report by El Pais, citing sources in the Catalan health department, the patient — who has since recovered — had no contact with pigs or pig farms. This led experts to conclude that the infection was likely the result of human-to-human transmission.

The development has raised concerns due to the pandemic potential of the swine flu virus, particularly if it recombines with a human influenza virus. Such recombination can occur if a pig is simultaneously infected with both strains, potentially creating a new variant capable of wider spread.

The WHO did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

In 2023, the Netherlands notified the WHO of a confirmed human infection with a swine influenza A(H1N1)v virus in an adult who had no occupational exposure to animals.

The 2009 swine flu pandemic infected millions globally. The outbreak was caused by a virus containing genetic material from influenza strains circulating in pigs, birds and humans, underscoring the continued vigilance required in monitoring such variants.