Swine-Like Influenza Virus Infection in a Wisconsin Farm Family

In October 1975 an eight-year-old boy living on a swine farm in Wisconsin had an illness characterized by upper respiratory, gastrointestinal, and constitutional symptoms. His illness, which occurred shortly after an outbreak of respiratory illness in the swine on the farm, was diagnosed as swine in...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of infectious diseases 1977-12, Vol.136 (Supplement-3), p.S390-S396
Main Authors: O'Brien, Richard J., Noble, Gary R., Easterday, Bernard C., Kendal, Alan P., Shasby, D. Michael, Nelson, Donald B., Hattwick, Michael A. W., Dowdle, Walter R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Antibodies
Antibodies, Viral - biosynthesis
Antigens
Child
Children
Diseases
Epidemiology
Family members
Hemagglutination Inhibition Tests
Humans
Infections
Influenza A virus
Influenza, Human - epidemiology
Influenza, Human - transmission
Orthomyxoviridae
Respiratory Tract Infections - diagnosis
Rural Population
Session I. Early Events
Swine
Viral diseases
Viruses
Wisconsin
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Summary:In October 1975 an eight-year-old boy living on a swine farm in Wisconsin had an illness characterized by upper respiratory, gastrointestinal, and constitutional symptoms. His illness, which occurred shortly after an outbreak of respiratory illness in the swine on the farm, was diagnosed as swine influenza by serologic studies. Epidemiologic investigation revealed that of seven family members the five who had the closest contact with the swine had antibody to swine influenza virus, although none had a history of illness in October. None of the child's other close contacts, including 24 of his classmates, had antibodies to swine influenza virus. The prevalence of antibody to swine influenza virus in other residents of the community was similar to that found in surveys of other communities: titers of hemagglutination-inhibiting antibody of ⩾1:20 in none of persons younger than 15 years, 3% of those 15–34 years old, 12% of those 35–54, and 88% of those 55 and older. A study of the swine in the area indicated that swine influenza had occurred recently in the swine on the farm where the boy lived but not in the herds of two neighboring farms. It was postulated that the boy's illness and the infection without clinical illness in the other seropositive family members resulted from direct exposure to swine influenza virus that had been shed by the sick swine. There was no evidence that person-to-person transmission of swine influenza-like virus had occurred.
ISSN:0022-1899
1537-6613
DOI:10.1093/infdis/136.Supplement_3.S390