Two people in Michigan have been infected with swine flu after attending county fairs, CDC reveals

Two people in Michigan have been diagnosed with swine flu after attending county fairs, health officials confirmed today.

The patients – whose infections are unrelated – caught several strains at separate agricultural fairs last month, where they were exposed to infected pigs.

Both patients – whose identities have not been revealed – had mild illness and there is no sign that they spread it to other people.

But the infections come amid an unprecedented flu outbreak in animals.

Caught the first person

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services first reported a positive test of swine flu variant A(H3) on July 26 in an individual who attended a trade show that took place between July 7 and 16.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tested a patient sample that was inconclusive, likely due to the sample not containing enough virus.

Neither patient required hospitalization and both were treated with antiviral drugs for flu. They are now recovering.

The CDC advised people to take general precautions to limit the spread of swine flu, including not eating or drinking while pigs are present, avoiding contact with pigs that appear sick, and washing hands with soap and water before and after contact with pigs.

Flu viruses can spread from pigs to humans and vice versa.

Swine flu surges in pigs around the autumn months, increasing the risk of the disease spreading to humans.

People who become infected often have similar symptoms to seasonal flu, including fever, cough, runny nose, and body aches.

But cases are normally mild and go away on their own within a few weeks. There is little risk of death.

However, scientists say children under the age of five, people over 65, pregnant women and people with underlying health conditions are more at risk of complications if they become infected.