A Maui resident whose work involves contact with pigs contracted Hawaii’s first confirmed case of an unusual swine flu strain that has been detected in only six mainland states in the past year, the state Health Department said Tuesday.

The state Agriculture Department plans to take nasal swabs of a "couple" of pig herds on Maui looking for evidence of the H3N2v virus, said state veterinarian Dr. James Foppoli.

Since August 2011 the H3N2v virus has only been found in 17 patients on the mainland, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"If we find an infected herd, our recommendation is to not move the animals to make sure there’s no more transmission in the herd, and then they will be OK to go to slaughter once they’re well," Foppoli said. "Human-to-human transmission is uncommon, so that’s not a likely source. You’ve got to suspect that there’s a pig intermediate somewhere along the line where the person got the virus."

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention late last week confirmed Hawaii’s first case of the H3N2v virus after the unidentified, adult Maui resident sought medical attention upon experiencing symptoms consistent with the regular seasonal flu including fever, cough and body aches, the Health Department said.

The patient has recovered fully and did not require hospitalization, the Health Department said.

Health officials recommend that people who have been in "close contact with pigs" consult with their health care providers if they come down with flu-like symptoms, said Health Department spokes­woman Judy Kern.

She emphasized that "pork is safe to eat if properly cooked. There is no risk at all for properly cooked pork."

State agriculture officials are encouraging Hawaii swine producers to practice good hygiene, such as hand washing.

In 2009, 13 people in Hawaii — most of them on Oahu — died after contracting the H1N1 "swine flu" virus that also sickened dozens of other patients.

Until the Maui case, the new H3N2v flu had been confirmed in Indiana (six cases), Iowa (three), Maine (two), Pennsylvania (three), Utah (one) and West Virginia (two), according to the CDC.

Hawaii health officials said the mainland cases occurred primarily in children and those who work closely with pigs.

"The virus seems to be behaving as previously observed in other cases, with illness similar to seasonal flu and with no sustained community transmission," state epidemiologist Sarah Park said in a statement. "Still, anyone who develops flu-like illness within a week after close contact with domestic pigs should see their healthcare provider."

Children, pregnant women, seniors and anyone with compromised immune systems should be particularly careful around pigs and practice good hand-washing habits, the Health Department said.

Because the Maui patient’s primary care doctor participates in the Health Department’s influenzalike-illness sentinel network, a respiratory specimen was first sent to the state Laboratories Division for testing.

"Fortunately, we have a robust surveillance network and our state laboratory detected this variant virus and conferred with federal partners," Health Director Loretta Fuddy said in a statement.

"Thanks to the excellent cooperation of Hawaii’s health care providers, participation in our sentinel network exceeds CDC recommendations," Fuddy said. "In addition to our state laboratory’s ability to identify unusual flu strains, sentinel physicians contribute to our ability to catch incidents such as this, which might otherwise fall below the radar."