Pandemic Virus Swapping Genes In Pigs

The H1N1 swine flu virus has been spreading quietly in pigs in Hong Kong and swapping genes with other viruses, and researchers said the findings support calls for tighter disease surveillance in pigs before new bugs can emerge and infect people. The finding, published in Science June 18, supports the theory that flu viruses infecting

Cold Fronts Linked To Bird Flu Outbreaks

Outbreaks of H5N1 flu among birds in Europe came at the edges of cold fronts that caused wild birds to change migration patterns, scientists said April 8, suggesting cold snaps may signal future outbreaks. Dutch and American researchers found European outbreaks of avian influenza during the 2005-06 winter were driven by collective movements of wild


Long-Awaited Hog Recovery Finally Happening

Relief is finally in sight for Manitoba’s beleaguered hog farmers after a financial battering that’s lasted nearly four years. Producers can expect to see profit margins of $20 to $25 a hog for most of 2010, beginning this spring, according to a Manitoba Pork Marketing Co-op outlook. The expected average fixed forward contract price from



Pork Sector Assesses H1N1 Damage

“H1N1 has been another poster child for active, ongoing risk management.” If there was any lingering doubt of the huge economic and psychological blow dealt to the pork industry in the wake of H1N1 influenza, it was quickly erased for those attending the Banff Pork Seminar, a leading seminar for the pork industry held annually

Japan Bans Imports Of Texas Poultry

Japan has banned imports of poultry from the U. S. state of Texas after a report of a case of avian flu (serotype H5) in the state, the U. S. Agriculture Department said Jan. 6. Japan, which has previously banned poultry imports from Pennsylvania, Minnesota and Illinois, is a small market for U. S. poultry,


Hog Producer Hailed For Philanthropy

The Loewen Foundation and the Steinbach Community Foundation have named Ste. Anne-area hog farmer Marg Rempel as their Philanthropist of the Year. According to a newsletter from the Manitoba Pork Council, the award includes a $2,000 donation to an organization of the recipient’s choice, which Rempel has directed to the Bethesda Foundation, supporting Steinbach’s Bethesda

Swine Workers Encouraged To Get H1N1 Flu Shot

“Vaccination of swine workers may reduce the likelihood that H1N1 flu will be introduced into barns.” – DR. WAYNE LEES The Manitoba government is telling people who work directly with pigs to get the H1N1 flu shot. In a recent letter to the Manitoba Pork Council, the province recommended the move, not just to guard


U. S. House Cat Catches H1n1

A 13-year-old indoor cat in Iowa is confirmed to have had and recovered from pandemic H1N1 influenza, marking another species crossover for the virus. “Two of the three members of the family that owns the pet had suffered from influenza-like illness before the cat became ill,” veterinarian Dr. Ann Garvey of the Iowa Department of

Pig DNA Mapped: May Help With Breeding, Vaccines

An international team of researchers said Nov. 2 it had mapped the DNA of a domestic pig, work they say that could help lead to better breeding techniques as well as improve vaccines against diseases such as swine flu. They plan to look for genes useful in pork production and immunity in pigs, which are