August 28, 2009

Poultry in Chile can be at risk after the outbreak of AH1N1 flu in turkeys was reported last week, the United Nations' food agency said on Thursday (August 27), urging an improvement in animal health controls.

The outbreak in Chile was the first case of the virus found outside humans and pigs but authorities were quick to say that the disease was not a public health threat.

The detection of an AH1N1 virus in turkeys in Chile raises concern that poultry farms elsewhere in the world could also become infected with the pandemic flu virus currently circulating in humans, UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said in a statement.

The current AH1N1 virus strain is not deadly than common seasonal flu viruses, but it could theoretically become more dangerous if it adds virulence by combining with H5N1, known as bird flu, which is far more lethal, FAO said.

In a statement, FAO's interim Chief Veterinary Officer Juan Lubroth said that in southeast Asia where there is a lot of the virus circulating in poultry, the introduction of AH1N1 in these populations would be of a greater concern.

The discovery of the H1N1 virus in turkeys does not pose any immediate threat to human health and turkey meat can still be sold after veterinary inspection and hygienic processing, the FAO said, praising Chile's decision not to cull infected birds.

The FAO urged developing countries to step up veterinary controls, disease monitoring and ensure that hygienic and good farming practice guidelines are followed.

The Geneva-based World Health Organization declared AH1N1 a full pandemic in June. The virus has now spread to about 180 countries, causing at least 1,799 laboratory-confirmed deaths. The WHO says the pandemic is unstoppable.