Pandemic H1N1 Hits Commercial U. S. Herd

The pandemic H1N1 influenza virus has been found for the first time in a commercial swine herd, the U. S. Agriculture Department said Nov. 2. The sick herd was found in Indiana, the USDA said, noting both the pigs and their caretakers have fully recovered from the virus, commonly called swine flu. USDA said the

USDA Finds More Show Pigs With H1N1 Flu Virus

Six pigs shown at the Minnesota State Fair last month have been confirmed as having had the pandemic H1N1 flu virus, the U. S. Agriculture Department said Oct. 29. The USDA said it is running confirmatory tests on samples from another six pigs that tested positive for the virus during preliminary tests. Some of those


Swine Fever May Impede Growth In Russia Herd

The spread of African swine fever, a deadly hog disease, to near St. Petersburg could threaten Russia’s attempts to become self-sufficient in pork production, the U. S. Meat Export Federation said Oct. 28 in a note to members. “If recent ASF outbreaks in Russia are as widespread as available information indicates, they could represent a

Get Your H1N1 Flu Shot

Turkeys on a farm in Ontario have become infected with the H1N1 flu virus, but no birds or eggs from the farm entered the food supply, provincial government officials said Oct. 20. The infection poses minimal risk to human health, Dr. Arlene King, Ontario’s chief medical officer of health, said in a news conference in


H1N1 Was In Pigs For Years: Study

“This lineage has been circulating under the radar for the better part of a decade.” – MICHAEL WOROBEY Ever since the H1N1 flu virus emerged earlier this year, pork producers have objected to its commonly used name: swine flu. Producers argue the virus is about people, not pigs, and the term is unfair to themselves

Limited Market For Swine Vaccine

Dr. Cate Dewey, professor of swine health management at the University of Guelph, said that a vaccine to prevent “classical” H1N1 influenza infection in swine has existed for years. “But we don’t have information on how well that vaccine is going to protect pigs from the novel virus,” she said. The “novel” H1N1 virus is


Hard Times Have U. S. Hog Producers Seeking Help

“The big driver of losses for this business is the run-up in costs of production.” – STEVE MEYER U. S. hog producers, who have been losing money since late 2007, have asked the U. S. Agriculture Department for $250 million in assistance, of which $150 million would buy pork for federal food programs. Producers also

Updated H1N1 Influenza Advice Sent To Manitoba Schools

School principals and superintendents across the province have received updated H1N1 influenza information about infection prevention, vaccination and absenteeism, along with public health advice for ill children or staff, Health Minister Theresa Oswald and Education, Citizenship and Youth Minister Peter Bjornson announced Aug. 17. “Manitoba’s health-care experts know that parents, students and teachers have questions


Flu Crossed Back From Hogs To Inspectors: Reports

Two Canadian Food Inspection Agency workers may be the first known cases of pandemic H1N1 influenza crossing from hogs to humans. The CFIA employees, who both have tested positive for the flu strain recently elevated to pandemic status, were working in late April on a quarantined Rocky Mountain House, Alta.-area farm which, at the time,

Nonpandemic Flu Strain Found In Saskatchewan

Federal health officials are working with the Saskatchewan government to assess and monitor the public health risk posed by a new strain of influenza that has been detected in that province. The new strain was detected in two workers on a hog farm in Saskatchewan. The workers suffered only mild illness and have recovered fully,