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New pig flu strain causes first death
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09/01/12 12:08 PM ET
A new strain of pig flu has killed a 61-year-old Ohio woman — the first human death tied to the virus.
According to reports, 14 others have been hospitalized as a result of the new strain, which is primarily caught through direct contact with pigs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also said that it could spread from person to person.
The new strain, known as "H3N2v," is usually no more dangerous than seasonal flu. Officials said that the Ohio woman who died after she contracted it may have had other health problems.
The first human case of H3N2v was confirmed in July 2011, the year after it was discovered in pigs.
"Pig flu" is often associated with the H1N1 strain, which caused a global pandemic in 2009.
