New flu virus emerges in Western Canada
Agencies
Saskatoon/Kabul: Canadian officials said on Tuesday they had identified yet another new flu virus, this one a mixture of human and swine influenzas, in two farm workers in Western Canada.
The new virus did not make the two workers seriously ill and is not related to the current H1N1 pandemic influenza strain, the Public Health Agency of Canada said.
The two workers, both employees at a hog barn operation in the province of Saskatchewan, have fully recovered. A third case is under investigation.
"Preliminary results indicate the risk to public health is low and that Canadians who have been vaccinated against the regular, seasonal flu should have some immunity to this new flu strain," Canada's Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq said in a statement
The new virus contains genes from a seasonal human H1N1 flu strain and a flu virus common in the swine population called triple reassortant H3N2, said Dr Greg Douglas, Saskatchewan's chief veterinary officer.
The virus is not connected to the new swine flu H1N1 strain that has killed 429 people worldwide.
Meanwhile, 14 cases of swine flu have been detected among US soldiers stationed at the biggest military base in Afghanistan, the government and the military said.
The A(H1N1) virus cases were reported over the past few days at Bagram Air base, the ministry of public health said in a statement.
"All have been properly treated, recovered and returned to work," the military added.
The infections were discovered during a general health check-up among the troops at the base 50 km north of Kabul, a US military spokesman, Lieutenant Adam Clampitt said.
Agencies
Saskatoon/Kabul: Canadian officials said on Tuesday they had identified yet another new flu virus, this one a mixture of human and swine influenzas, in two farm workers in Western Canada.
The new virus did not make the two workers seriously ill and is not related to the current H1N1 pandemic influenza strain, the Public Health Agency of Canada said.
The two workers, both employees at a hog barn operation in the province of Saskatchewan, have fully recovered. A third case is under investigation.
"Preliminary results indicate the risk to public health is low and that Canadians who have been vaccinated against the regular, seasonal flu should have some immunity to this new flu strain," Canada's Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq said in a statement
The new virus contains genes from a seasonal human H1N1 flu strain and a flu virus common in the swine population called triple reassortant H3N2, said Dr Greg Douglas, Saskatchewan's chief veterinary officer.
The virus is not connected to the new swine flu H1N1 strain that has killed 429 people worldwide.
Meanwhile, 14 cases of swine flu have been detected among US soldiers stationed at the biggest military base in Afghanistan, the government and the military said.
The A(H1N1) virus cases were reported over the past few days at Bagram Air base, the ministry of public health said in a statement.
"All have been properly treated, recovered and returned to work," the military added.
The infections were discovered during a general health check-up among the troops at the base 50 km north of Kabul, a US military spokesman, Lieutenant Adam Clampitt said.