Spain has alerted the World Health Organization (WHO) to a suspected person-to-person transmission of the swine flu virus.
Health authorities in the Catalonia region confirmed the alert, stating the risk to the general population is considered "very low." The infected individual did not present with typical flu-like respiratory symptoms, and tests on direct contacts indicated no further spread.
Experts believe the transmission was human-to-human, as the patient had no contact with pigs or pig farms. This development raises concerns due to the pandemic potential of swine flu if it were to recombine with human flu viruses.
The WHO has been notified, following a similar case in the Netherlands in 2023. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, which infected millions, was caused by a virus with genetic material from pig, bird, and human viruses.