http://www.desmoinesregister.com/articl ... y=nav|headNew flu virus blips out of Iowa as quickly as it appeared
A new flu virus that cropped up in north-central Iowa in November has dropped out of sight, a state expert says.
The H3N2 virus sickened three children in Webster and Hamilton Counties, but apparently failed to continue spreading, Dr. Patricia Quinlisk, medical director for the Iowa Department of Public Health, said today.
About a dozen cases of infection with the H3N2 flu virus have been reported nationally. Most of those cases involved people with direct exposure to pigs, who are known to carry the virus. However, the three Iowa children and their families had no such exposure, Quinlisk said.
According to a report filed with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Iowa outbreak started with an unidentified girl, who became ill in mid-November. Two boys who were at a small gathering with the girl also came down with the illness. All three recovered.
Quinlisk said health officials continue to watch closely for new cases, but haven’t seen any.
New flu viruses sometimes raise fears because people’s immune systems are unprepared to fight them off. That’s why the H1N1 virus sparked a public-health emergency two years ago. But Quinlisk said the H3N2 virus is relatively difficult to transmit from person to person.
Federal experts say the current seasonal-flu vaccine probably provides little protection against the H3N2 virus. They have taken initial steps toward developing a special vaccine in case a need arises.
More common flu viruses are causing sporadic illnesses in Iowa. The current vaccine protects against those viruses, which tend to gain steam in January or February.
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