LANSING, Mich. — Michigan officials have reported the state’s first case of H3N2v, or influenza A variant. As with most other cases of it, the victim is someone who came into contact with pigs at a county fair.

The case is a girl from Washtenaw County who attended the Ingham County Fair. She had mild flu symptoms and wasn’t hospitalized, according to an announcement from the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) on Aug. 15.

“There have been limited cases of human-to-human transmission, but the majority have been human-to-swine contact,” said Angela Minicuci, a spokeswoman for MDCH. “There’s no evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission. This is not something you can get from pork or eating pork; it’s not a food safety issue.”

She added once the virus goes from swine to humans it’s called “variant” because the virus changes a little. Cases of this strain of influenza have also been reported in Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Hawaii, Iowa, Maine, Pennsylvania, Utah, West Virginia and Wisconsin. The vast majority of cases have been in Indiana and Ohio; Minicuci said she doesn’t know why that is.

So far there have been 13 hospitalizations and still no deaths from the disease nationwide, according to the latest figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As of Friday, the total number of cases nationwide was 276.

Although it’s not clear why the disease spread so much this season – it’s been around for at least a year – the immediate cause is human contact with exhibit pigs. According to the CDC website, people get the virus from pigs much the same way they get a common cold or flu virus from another person.

When an infected pig coughs or sneezes, droplets with virus in it are spread in the air and could land on a person’s nose or mouth and then be inhaled. Also, a person who touches a pig and then touches their mouth could get it. A third way would be to inhale dust containing the virus.

“We’re recommending taking protective actions for anyone who touches pigs, especially people who go to county fairs,” Minicuci said.

She added people who touch pigs should wash their hands before they touch their mouths. She stated this year’s human flu vaccine is available, but this strain is not covered in the vaccine.

Public health officials don’t seem to be concerned about hog farmers’ exposure to pigs. “As far as full-time, large-scale hog operators, we have no cases,” said Steven Halstead, chief veterinarian for Michigan.

“We don’t have any evidence that those hogs have this strain of influenza.”

Halstead explained there is a “pretty strong separation between commercial pigs and exhibit pigs.” In recent years, he stated, commercial hog farmers have become more aware of the threat to their operations from zoonotic diseases. Thus, gone are the days when commercial hog farmers exhibit their pigs.

Further, anyone who works around commercial hogs and goes to a pig exhibit must wait a period of time, usually 48 hours, before coming into contact with commercial pigs again, he said.