Danish pig farms struck by AH1N1

Batches of pigs on two Danish pig farms have been diagnosed with the novel AH1N1 flu virus.

The information was submitted to the Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) on January 9 by the Danish Food and Veterinary Administration (DFVA), part of the country's Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fishieries.

The DFVA confirmed that about 950 out of 6,600 pigs from two Mid-Zealand pig farms, in Jystrup, Ringsted and Tollose, Holbaek have tested positive for the virus. Three pigs died of the disease. The administration has also restricted the movement of animals from the affected farms for a period of a week until all signs of the infection have disappeared.

The spread of the virus within pigs is not uncommon, and many other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Finland, Indonesia, Japan, Norway, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, the UK and the US have already experienced outbreaks.