27 April '09

A virus circulating in Mexico and the USA and involving person to person transmission appears to cause in some cases severe affections in certain people infected by this virus. There is no evidence that this virus is transmitted by food.
It is not a classical human influenza virus called seasonal influenza, which causes every year millions of human cases of influenza worldwide but a virus which includes in its characteristics swine, avian and human virus components.

Any current information in influenza like animal disease in Mexico or the USA could support a link between human cases and possible animal cases including swine. The virus has not been isolated in animals to date. Therefore, it is not justified to name this disease swine influenza. In the past, many human influenza epidemics with animal origin have been named after their geographic origin, eg Spanish influenza or Asiatic influenza, thus it would be logical to call this disease "North-American influenza".

Urgent scientific research must be started in order to know the susceptibility of animals to this new virus, and if relevant to implement biosecurity measures including possible vaccination to protect susceptible animals. If this virus would be shown to cause disease in animals, virus circulation could worsen the regional and global situation for public health.

Currently, only findings related to the circulation of this virus in pigs in zones of countries having human cases would justify trade measures on the importation of pigs from these countries. The OIE will continue its alert function and will publish in relation with its Members, Reference Laboratories and Collaborating Centres all appropriate information in real time.

OIE and FAO underline the great value of the influenza veterinary laboratory network called OFFLU, in charge of the surveillance of the evolution of influenza viruses in animals. There is a strong need to reinforce this network whose members are urged to put immediately in the public domain any genetic sequence of influenza virus they obtain.

This influenza event underlines in all countries the crucial importance of maintaining worldwide veterinary services able to implement in animals early detection of relevant emerging pathogens with a potential public health impact. This capacity is fully linked with veterinary services good governance and their compliance with OIE international standards of quality.

Information distributed in Texas USA about Swine Flu

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security:

• People cannot get swine influenza from eating pork or pork products. Most influenza viruses, including the swine flu virus, are not spread by food.
• Eating properly handled and cooked pork products is safe.
• No food safety issues have been identified, related to the flu.
• Preliminary investigations have determined that none of the people infected with the flu had contact with hogs.
• The virus is spreading by human-to-human transmission.

 The CDC recommends the following measures to prevent the transmission of flu: 

•  Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.                                                        
• Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
•  Wash your hands frequently and use alcohol-based sanitizers.
•  Try not touch surfaces that may be contaminated with the flu virus.
•  Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
•  Try to stay in good general health.
•  Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.

Detailed information and updates on the flu outbreak may be obtained at:
Texas Department of State Health Services             
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

If you own swine, consider the following practices to enhance the biosecurity on your farm to prevent the disease from being transmitted to your herd:

•  Workers should shower and change into farm-specific clothes and shoes before entering swine facilities. 
•  Establish, implement and enforce strict sick leave policies for workers presenting influenza-like symptoms.
•  Recommend that workers with symptoms be seen by a medical provider immediately.
•  Restrict the entry of people into your facility to only workers and essential service personnel.
•  Prevent international visitors from entering your facilities.
•  Ensure adequate ventilation in facilities to minimize re-circulation of air inside animal housing facilities. 
•  Vaccinate pigs against the influenza virus.  Vaccination of pigs can reduce the levels of virus shed by infected animals
•  Contact your swine veterinarian if swine exhibit flu-like or respiratory illness, especially if the onset or presentation of the illness is unusual.  
•  Notify your Texas Animal Health Commission area office or the Austin headquarters at 800-550-8242, after you have contacted your veterinarian.

The Texas Animal Health Commission is ready to assist with on-farm investigations, if pigs are present where a known human case has occurred, and to assist with epidemiological investigations with any human cases that may have links to swine in Texas.