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INFLUENZA A (H1N1): ANIMAL HEALTH (04), INFECTED SWINE, CANADA
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A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>
Date: 2 May 2009
Source: The Canadian Press via globeandmail.com [Edited]
<http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090502.wcanflu0502/BNStory/Front/>
Alberta pigs infected with flu, CFIA says
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H1N1 influenza virus has infected some pigs in Alberta, federal
officials confirmed Saturday.
"It is highly probable that the pigs were exposed to the virus from a
Canadian who had recently returned from Mexico and had been
exhibiting flu-like symptoms," a news release from the Canadian Food
Inspection Agency said.
All of the pigs are recovering or have recovered.
The herd affected has been placed under quarantine, said Dr. Brian
Evans, an official with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
It's common to see influenza in pigs and human transmission to pigs
is known to occur, Evans said.
Normally detecting influenza in pigs would not generate a response
from food safety officials, but with an international flu outbreak,
the current circumstances are different, Dr. Evans told a news
conference in Ottawa.
The chance that these pigs could transfer virus to a person is
remote," Dr. Evans said.
The H1N1 virus, which is made up of swine flu genes, is believed to
have jumped to humans some time back and has been passing person to
person.
The World Health Organization has insisted there is no evidence that
pigs are passing the virus to humans, or that eating pork products
poses an infection risk.
Genetic testing shows the pigs in Alberta were infected with the same
virus responsible for cases in California, Mexico and other countries
around the world.
Herman Simons, a spokesman for Alberta Pork, a producer's group, said
the main worry is the possible effect of the discovery on exports.
"That's our big concern," Mr. Simons said. "The biggest concern is it
may impact exports of live animals into the U.S."
Earlier this week, the World Health Organization dropped the term
"swine flu" - a nickname that angered pork producers and led to a
drop in pork sales - in favour of its scientific name: "H1N1
influenza A."
Meanwhile, Canada's swine flu caseload swelled Saturday to 85 cases
as health officials confirmed a host of new cases in Nova Scotia,
Alberta and Quebec.
--
Communicated by ProMED-mail Rapporteur Mary Marshall
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[This report of the new, novel influenza A H1N1 in a swine herd is an
important new development. Unfortunately, this article does not
answer several key important questions which ProMED-mail hopes will
be answered shortly.
First, how was directionality of infection established? Was the
worker sick when he came in contact with pigs? If so, what lapse in
biosecurity allowed a sick human worker to even be on a swine farm as
standard biosecurity practices on progressive or up to date swine
farms would screen such an individual out and prevent him or her from
coming into contact with pigs? Has the worker tested positive for
the novel influenza A H1N1 virus? What is the prevalence of the new
virus in the swine herd and finally, but most importantly, what
quarantine and traceback procedures are in place to make sure that
the swine herd does not infect other swine farms? Finally, although
we know animal diagnostic laboratories have never seen this virus
before in pigs, what surveillance efforts are being made to look at
previous swine serum banks or test apparently healthy swine herds on
a population basis to actively ensure swine populations are free of
this novel influenza A H1N1 virus.
As always, with the influenza virus, answers to these questions will
inevitably generate new questions but the sooner we get some of the
basic facts out, the better we can understand this important new
development. - Mod. PC]
[see also:
Influenza A (H1N1): animal health (03), Egypt, pig cull 20090502.1649
Influenza A (H1N1): animal health 20090430.1637
Influenza A (H1N1) "swine flu": animal health (02), Egypt, prevention
20090429.1623
Influenza A (H1N1) "swine flu": animal health 20090428.1604
Influenza A (H1N1) "swine flu": worldwide (07), update, pandemic 5
20090429.1622
Influenza A (H1N1) "swine flu": worldwide (06) 20090429.1614
Influenza A (H1N1) "swine flu": animal health 20090428.1604
Avian influenza, human (82): Egypt (GH) 68th case 20090424.1545
Avian influenza, human (81) - Egypt, WHO 20090423.1535
Avian influenza, human (80): Egypt, 25th fatality 20090423.1531
Avian influenza, human (78): Egypt, WHO 20090421.1506
Avian influenza, human (73): Egypt, virulence 20090413.1411
....................lm/pc/lm
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