Om maar even voor te lopen op het internationale nieuws:

” Alberta pigs believed to be infected with swine flu “

OTTAWA — The Canadian Press has learned federal officials are set to announce the swine flu virus is believed to have infected pigs in Alberta.

A government source says the animals were thought to be infected by a farm worker who had recently been to Mexico and fell ill upon his return.

This may be the first time this particular swine flu virus has been found in pigs.

The H1N1 virus, which is made up of swine flu genes, is believed to have jumped to humans sometime back and has been passing person to person.

The World Health Organization has insisted there is no evidence that pigs are passing the virus to humans, or that eating pork products poses an infection risk.

Genetic testing shows the pigs in Alberta were infected with the same virus responsible for cases in California, Mexico and other countries around the world.

Official confirmation of the pigs’ infection was expected at a news conference scheduled for Saturday afternoon in Ottawa.

Herman Simons, a spokesman for Alberta Pork, a producer’s group, said the main worry is the possible effect of the discovery on exports.

“That’s our big concern,” Simons said. “The biggest concern is it may impact exports of live animals into the U.S.”

Earlier this week, the World Health Organization dropped the term “swine flu” - a nickname that angered pork producers and led to a drop in pork sales - in favour of its scientific name: “H1N1 influenza A.”

Wij hebben geen idee wat dit voor gevolgen kan hebben, het klinkt in ieder geval voor de industrie niet goed.

Bron: Google News - Canadian Press

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