Swine flu from Oakland County fair linked to human case

OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) - A Lapeer County resident has tested positive for the swine flu after being around sick hogs last week at the Oakland County Fair.

The Lapeer County Health Department said a resident who attended the Oakland County Fair and was around sick pigs that tested positive for swine flu has now tested positive for the virus.

According to the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Department of Health and Human Services, the pigs began displaying symptoms on July 14. Oakland County Fair GM LC Scramlin said they've never had anything like this before.

"We’ve never had anything like this actually at the fair," Scramlin said. "We closed down our hog exhibit to everyone just the bare minimum of people who need to take care of the pigs."

A total of 76 hogs were on display and  they all had to be checked.

"Saturday morning one of our regional state vets was there took swabs and tested the pigs and by 6 o'clock that night we knew that we had swine flu," Scramlin said. "We had to check each pig's temperature in order to discharge them from the fair and some stayed with us until Wednesday after the fair until we had all of their symptoms passed."

Organizers took all protective measures in accordance with state and county regulations. No exhibitors tested positive but the Lapeer County resident, who was around the pigs, did.

No other details were released.

"The swine flu is of course, well can be, passed on to humans and so it is very much your typical flu symptoms but they want anybody that exhibits that actually contact their local physicians if they come down with any of those symptoms," Scramlin said