Swine flu found in Manitoba hogs

Several hog herds inManitoba contracted swine flu this summer, health officials revealed Wednesday, the first day of an international conference of government ministers and healthexperts in Winnipeg on preparations for the further spread of the H1N1 virus.

Tim Pasma, a disease control veterinarian for the province, said the H1N1 influenza A virusnow circulating in humans was also detected in some Manitoba swine herds at sow barns, nursery barns and feeder barns in various partsof the province. He won't identify the farms involved.

Hog farmers and health officials first suspected in July that hogs had contractedthe H1N1 virus when sows that had been vaccinated against common strains of influenza began to exhibit influenza-like symptoms, according to news release issued by the International Society for Infectious Diseases.

Samples from the herds in question analyzed by Manitoba Agriculture's Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory tested positive for the H1N1 virus, and that diagnosis was confirmed by the National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease in Winnipeg.

The findingspose no concern for the public, Pasma said.

"For the hogs, it's a very mild disease," he said. "It's very similar to the signs that you see in humans, so you know mild fever, mild coughing. It's been a very mild disease.

"[But] we do see some of the pigs do get sick. We do see some mortality, especially when there are other underlying conditions."

Pasma said the province has interventions in place to ensure no sick pigs enter the food chain.

"It's not a food safety concern. Pork sick pigs are not shipped to market, and there are different points of inspection in the food safety chain to ensure that the public is at no risk of getting the virus."

Public misconception

Canada's chief public health officer added that there is no evidence people will getthe H1N1 virus from eating pork.

"If a herd is sick, they're not going to market. And they are tested, and once they're perfectly well, even with influenza, there's no reason not to eat them," said Dr. David Butler-Jones.

The hogs that had the virus recovered within a week, and no deaths were reported. As well, cooking the meat will kill the virus, said Manitoba's chief veterinary officer Dr. Wayne Lees.

But public misconception about the virus has caused hog prices to plummet and about a dozen countries to place trade restrictions on Canadian pork.

Experts expect more herds to become infected if there's a second wave of the pandemic this fall. And hog farmers say their industry and their bottom line can't take too many more hits like this.

"The damage from H1N1 has been done already. These prices are a direct impact," said Andrew Dickson, general manager of the Manitoba Pork Council.

Lees hassent letters to veterinarians to seek their co-operation in detecting and reporting signs of respiratory illness in swine. Letters have also been sent tohog producers encouraging the maintenance of strict biosecurity measures to safeguard the health of their herds and workers.

Maintaining usual biosecurity safeguards will reduce the possibility of spread into the barn, and between barns, Lees said.