US to conduct testing to confirm human strain of AH1N1 in hogs

The US Department of Agriculture is now conducting tests to try to confirm a discovery of AH1N1 influenza, in samples that were collected from pigs at the 2009 Minnesota State Fair.

 

The USDA's primary goal is to make sure that this is the type of AH1N1 influenza that can sicken humans - rather than the type that is only a threat to swine, according to a USDA official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

 

The preliminary finding of a strain of the virus that can sicken humans was made by researchers from the University of Iowa and the University of Minnesota working together on a project funded by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

 

Historically, the AH1N1 virus only has been used to label flu strains that infected swine. However, a new strain was discovered earlier this year in Mexico that has primarily sickened humans. This new AH1N1 contains avian and human viral genes along with the swine viral genes.

 

"Like people, swine routinely get sick or contract influenza viruses," USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a prepared statement. "I want to remind people that people cannot get sick from eating pork or pork products."

 

But swine can contract this new human-susceptible AH1N1 from contact with humans -- and that's what USDA officials believe could have happened in this case, the USDA official said.

 

The official doubted a swine-to-swine infection.

 

An outbreak of AH1N1 occurred in a group of children "housed in a dormitory at the fair at the same time samples were collected from the pigs, but no direct link to the pigs has been made," the USDA said in the Friday statement.

 

Lab results from the confirmation tests are expected "within the next few days," the USDA said.

 

As of yet, there's been no confirmed case of the human strain in swine in the US, but it has been detected in herds in other countries, such as Canada. Regardless, China, historically a major pork importer, banned US pork earlier this year out of AH1N1 concerns.

 

 

"Since the AH1N1 flu was first reported in late April," the NPPC said, it has "urged pork producers to tighten their existing biosecurity protocols to protect their pigs from the virus, including restricting public access to barns."