AH1N1 vaccine for US hogs available by end of the year

US hog producers will likely see AH1N1 vaccines available for their herds by the end of this year.

But, according to US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) John Clifford whether producers will need to vaccinate against the AH1N1 virus will be directly dependent upon the severity in the human population and whether cases in the swine population starts emerging.

News of the AH1N1 virus showing up for the first time in hogs in the US came at the Minnesota State fair where six pigs tested positive for H1N1. The virus was later also found in a pig herd in Indiana.

With that, Cargill announced its plans to vaccinate its entire sow herd of about 120,000 against the virus. Cargill spokesman Mark Klein said the sows will pass on their AH1N1-immunity to their offsprigs.

USDA hopes the vaccine will prevent the human strain from gaining a foothold in the hog population and possibly mutate into something new.