Finland pigs struck by AH1N1

The agricultural authorities of Finland reported an outbreak of AH1N1 pandemic influenza in 800 pigs on a pig farm of 950 pigs, which sets the morbidity rate on 84 percent.

The farmers had flu-like symptoms a few days before the pigs got sick. Tests by the National laboratories of the Food Safety Authority and the Institute for Health and Welfare confirmed the pandemic AH1N1 flu virus as causal agent.

The farm is under voluntary restrictions agreed by the industry:

• for delivery of fattening pigs to other farms: two weeks of quarantine
   
• for delivery of breeding pigs to other farms: four weeks quarantine.
   
• pigs sent to slaughter must be free of clinical signs