The first case of a pig contracting the H1N1 virus in the United States has caused concern among consumers about the safety of eating pork.
At least one pig from Minnesota has tested positive for the virus the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported today.
To counter reports of concern among anxious consumers, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a statement that USDA officials have begun to reach out to U.S. trade partners and international organizations to emphasize that H1N1, also known as swine flu, cannot be contracted by eating pork products.
"We have fully engaged our trading partners to remind them ... that there is no scientific basis to restrict trade in pork and pork products," Vilsack said. "People cannot get this flu from eating pork or pork products. Pork is safe to eat."
The USDA announced last week that it would test samples from three pigs collected between Aug. 26 and Sept. 1 at the Minnesota State Fair. The samples showed potential positive tests for H1N1.
USDA officials reported that the pigs did not show signs of sickness. Officials suggested the pigs likely contracted the virus from some of the nearly 1.8 million people who visited the fair. Officials also said the infection of a so-called show pig doesn't indicate an infection of commercial herds because show pigs are in separate segments of agriculture than the swine industry.
Experts had expected that the H1N1 virus would eventually turn up in domestic swine. Herd infections were also already reported in Canada, Australia, Argentina, Ireland, the United Kingdom and Norway. A hog vaccine for the virus is being developed but is not yet available.
Infected pigs can pass influenza viruses to other pigs in the same herd. When that happens, producers treat ill animals with aspirin to reduce fever but otherwise generally let the disease run its course through the herd, which is reported to take about a week. An industry representative noted that the industry has been stressing that the appearance of H1N1 in domestic swine poses no danger to the public.
Written by Mindy Hartman
Los Angeles
Exclusive to HULIQ.com
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