New strain of swine flu detected in Illinois

SPRINGFIELD — A child who contracted a new strain of swine flu has become the first Illinois case of the illness.

The Illinois Department of Public Health announced the case Thursday, encouraging state and county fairgoers to wash their hands frequently around pigs.

The new strain is known as H3N2v and is a variation first discovered last year.

The virus is typically transmitted from swine to humans. The child in Illinois attended the Coles County Fair. Further testing may identify how the child caught the bug.

The new flu’s severity has been compared to regular seasonal flu. The child who got sick in Illinois has not been hospitalized.

The health department and state agriculture department have added hand-washing stations on the state fairgrounds where the Illinois State Fair is under way.