Tuesday, September 6, 2011

3 Children Contract Flu Virus After Attending County Fair

September 5, 2011 10:40 PM
WASHINGTON, Pa. (KDKA) — Several agencies are investigating after several children who attended the Washington County Fair contracted the flu.

The fair ran from August 13-20.

Brandi Hunter-Davenport, a spokeswoman for the PA Health Department, said three children contracted a new strain of influenza-A of swine origin containing the H1N1 virus connected to the flu pandemic in 2009.

It’s undetermined how the virus was transmitted. There is no evidence it was spread through person-to-person contact.

“The one commonality that they do have at the moment is they all attended the county fair out in that part of the state,” she told KDKA-TV.

“However, we are saying to everyone we are still looking at other factors that may be a commonality amongst those three,” she continued.

The first child came down with symptoms on August 17. The virus was confirmed several days later. The child has recovered.

Two other cases were confirmed over the weekend.

The Centers for Disease Control and the state’s Department of Agriculture are also investigating.

Those most vulnerable to the flu are the elderly, children, and people with certain medical conditions.

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