No Slaughter Necessary, Despite A-H1N1 Flu Found in Canadian Pigs
By Joe DeCapua Washington D.C 04 May 2009
The UN Food and Agriculture
Organization is calling for strict bio-security measures for pigs for any evidence
of respiratory illness. However, it is not calling for the slaughter of the
animals. The announcement follows the discovery of the A-H1N1 virus in pigs in
Canada, which apparently was transmitted to the animal by a person.
If
there are signs of respiratory illness, there should be a restriction on the
movement of pigs, good and people on those farms or facilities until a
diagnosis of the illness is made. Joseph Domenech, the FAO's chief veterinary
officer, says the human-to-animal transmission of the flu virus does not come
as a surprise.
"So,
what does it mean? It means that the virus, which is a new virus…can infect
pigs. But this unique case is showing that it's not very pathogenic. (causing
infectious disease) and maybe not also as contagious as the other influenza
viruses in swine. In Canada, the herd is showing about 10 percent of animals
having clinical signs only with very mild signs. And after two or three days,
all have recovered," he says.
However,
precautions should be taken and surveillance increased to see whether the
A-H1N1 virus spreads to other farms and then back to people. He says that could
affect the epidemiology (health factors) of the human pandemic.
Farms
with infected pigs would basically be placed under quarantine. "Then you stop
having (the) possibility to have spread the virus from the farm to other farms.
It means concretely, first of all, you have to prevent people from entering or
going out of the farm without any control and for the goods as well," he says.
The FAO adds that "persons who work
directly with swine should not go to work if they have any signs of respiratory
disease, fever or any influenza-like illness. Again, the FAO stress "there is
absolutely no need to slaughter animals in view of preventing circulation of
the A-H1N1 virus."
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