H1N1 confirmed on Indiana hog farm
No animals show symptoms, okay to move through the production chain, officials say
 
Jeff Caldwell
Agriculture.com Multimedia Editor
 
11/04/2009, 7:46 AM CST
 
 

The H1N1 influenza virus has been confirmed in a commercial swine herd in Indiana, officials said earlier this week.

Officials with the USDA and Indiana Board of Animal Health said 4 tissue samples tested positive for the virus, but none of the hogs at the farm -- the location and owner of which have not been specified -- have shown clinical signs of the virus, reports indicate.

A report from Dow Jones Newswires indicates USDA officials said the hogs will still be moved through slaughter and processing since flu symptoms weren't present at the time of testing. And, they reassured consumers that the virus can't and won't be transmitted to humans through pork consumption. "People cannot get this flu from eating pork or pork products," according to a USDA statement.

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A series of precautionary measures has begun at the farm site of the infected animals, reports indicate. USDA says the farm's owner is working closely with the federal agency and other animal health officials to take "additional biosecurity steps to prevent the spread of the virus to other swine and people."

"USDA has a plan. The hogs are quarantined [until] they are over it. Then they can move through regular channels," says Agriculture.com Hog Talk member and farmer bertfarm. "I have heard it is not as bad as some kinds of flu. It was only a matter of time. All the sick people in the Midwest and lack of vaccine meant it was bound to happen.

"I hope his losses from the H1N1 are slight."

More on the H1N1 case >>  >>
Talk: From the CBOT floor -- H1N1 breaks >>  >>


 


 

 

 

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