US pork groups urge hog farmers to reduce flu risk

By News on the Net —— Bio and Archives April 26, 2009

Comments | Print This | Subscribe | Email Us

WASHINGTON, April 26 (Reuters) - U.S. pork groups have issued specific precautions about swine flu after an unusual new strain of influenza killed at least 81 people in Mexico and popped up in the United States and, possibly, Britain and New Zealand.

* Farmers should vaccinate pigs, workers * Keep farm visitors, birds away from barns * USDA, CDC recently began more swine flu surveillance * Flu may have had intermediary host between pigs, humans Although it is called "swine flu" there is no evidence that any of the cases stemmed from contact with pigs, said Liz Wagstrom, a veterinarian who works on public health issues for the U.S. National Pork Board. "As far as we know, it's never been seen in pigs worldwide," Wagstrom said in an interview. More...