Cause For Concern

The last thing this province’s struggling hog sector needed was a global pandemic named after swine. Although the origins of the disease outbreak in Mexico have not at this time been traced back to pigs, the paranoia that has grown as it spreads human to human across the globe has been disastrous for the pork

A Hog Farmer’s Blog

Swine flu?!????!!!!! Oh my. Can you speak? Swine flu? I cannot think of a worse thing for this thing to be called. They say that since it has nothing to do with pigs, it has no actual effect on the hog industry. Ummm….. Russia has banned the import of pork. The future outlook on pork


Egypt To Slaughter 400,000 Pigs

Egypt started seizing and slaughtering herds of pigs April 30 as a precaution against Influenza A H1N1, officials and farmers said, despite resistance by farmers and criticism from the United Nations. Egypt, already hit hard by bird flu, fears another flu virus could spread quickly in a country where most of the roughly 80 million

Swine Flu Spreads From People To Pigs

The discovery last weekend of the H1N1 Influenza A flu virus in an Alberta pig herd is the latest blow for Canada’s hog farmers already reeling from a barrage of bad news. The so-called swine flu spreading around the world had already disrupted markets and created a public image problem for pork producers, even though


In Brief… – for May. 7, 2009

Climate effect: Drier, warmer weather may help curb the swine flu outbreak as the Northern Hemisphere moves into summer and the human flu season nears its end, the World Meteorological Organization says. The United Nations agency said that weather can affect the course of viral epidemics but it was only one piece of the swine

Swine Flu Won’t Impact Seasonal Labour Program

“Our guys have better coverage than your average Manitoban.” – TODD GIFFIN, MAYFAIR FARM The Influenza A H1N1 outbreak in Mexico shouldn’t unduly affect Mexican seasonal farm workers coming to Canada under a federal agricultural employment program, officials said. Participants in the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program (SAWP) are pre-screened before leaving Mexico to make sure


Symptomless Egypt Bird Flu Cases Studied

The World Health Organization is concerned some Egyptians may carry the highly pathogenic bird flu virus with-o ut showing symptoms, which could give it more of a chance to mutate to a strain that spreads easily among humans. Whether such cases exist still has to be put to the test and will be the focus

Cleanup Complete At Other B. C. Bird Flu Site

Cleaning and disinfection work have been completed on the second of two poultry farms in the Abbotsford, B. C. area after birds at both sites were found infected with a strain of avian flu. The completed cleanup has been approved by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the CFIA said in a statement March 13. CFIA’s


Cleanup For Bird Flu Done On B. C. Farm

Cleaning and disinfection work on an Abbotsford, B. C. turkey farm has been completed to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s approval after the farm’s stock was culled for avian flu. About 60,000 birds were gassed and composted in the farm’s barns after some birds in the flock were confirmed Jan. 24 to have what turned

Second Flock Confirmed With A. I.

CFIA RELEASE The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed the presence of H5 avian influenza virus in a second commercial poultry operation in southern British Columbia. The flock was tested as part of the surveillance activities within three kilometres of the commercial poultry operation where low-pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza was detected on Jan. 24.