February 6, 2004

Bird Flu Found In Vietnamese Pigs

The gravity of the Asian bird flu crisis immediately worsened when the bird flu virus was found in several Vietnamese pigs.

According to Anton Rychener, head of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, "The H5N1 virus was in the nasal cavities of the pigs."

He added that blood tests on the pigs had been sent to Hong Kong and results were not yet returned. However, the infected pigs had not fallen ill with the virus that has killed at least 18 humans

Rychener further stated that bird flu had been detected in non-poultry animals in previous bird flu outbreaks around the world. But the spread to pigs could be disastrous as the virus would transfer more easily from pigs to people because they were genetically similar.

Vietnam has a total pig population of 25 million but farmers have yet to begin culling a single pig. With already 14 million chickens culled or dead from the virus, the ramifications to the Vietnamese feed industry would be devastating should the order for the mass slaughter of pigs be given.

To date, 56 of Vietnam's 64 provinces are affect by bird flu. So far, Vietnamese authorities have denied knowledge of pigs infected with bird flu.