Wisconsin's first case of H1N1 influenza was reported four years ago. In the fall of 2005, a Sheboygan County teen was working at a slaughterhouse and came in contact with pig. A short time later he came down with a form of influenza that hadn't been seen before. Wisconsin Health Services Department spokesman Seth Boffeli says doctors were surprised by the virus that had elements of swine, bird and human flu. The teen quickly recovered.
The disease the 17-year-old had was similar to the current strain, but is not the same as being seen today. Boffeli says one of the main differences between the flu strains is that the one found in 2005 was transmitted from animal to human, and the current one can be spread from person to person.
