Four people in Wisconsin have had the flu in recent weeks, and two small outbreaks have struck eastern Iowa ? activity that normally doesn?t start until November.
“It?s unusual but not unheard of,” said Tom Haupt, influenza coordinator for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Health officials, vigilant after last year?s surprise appearance of swine flu, or H1N1, are alerting doctors to be on the lookout for more flu cases this summer, Haupt said.
….In a separate study this week, UW-Madison researcher Yoshihiro Kawaoka and other scientists identified a protein mutation that allowed the swine flu virus to replicate well in people.