US health watchdog warns of swine flu risk as agricultural fairs get under way

Chris McGreal
Guardian.co.uk
August 9, 2012

The US government’s health watchdog is warning children and the elderly to avoid contact with pigs at agricultural fairs following a surge in humans infected with swine flu over the past month.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the bulk of the 145 infections identified since 12 July are in young people. Elderly people are also vulnerable to the virus passed from pigs to humans.

The outbreak is centered on Indiana and Ohio but infections have also been reported in Illinois and Hawaii.

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