WHO says H1N1 pigs must be kept out of food supply

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WHO says H1N1 pigs must be kept out of food supply

Wed May 6, 2009 4:16pm EDT

* WHO expert says flu viruses can survive freezing

* Blood of H1N1 infected pigs may also contain virus

* Meat from sick pigs or pigs found dead must not be eaten

* Existing food safety, trade checks offer ample protection

By Tan Ee Lyn

HONG KONG, May 6 (Reuters) - Meat from pigs infected with H1N1 flu should not be

eaten by humans, a WHO official said on Wednesday, while stressing that existing

checks were sufficient to safeguard the food supply from the new virus strain.

n Schlundt, director of the World Health Organisation's Department of Food

Safety, Zoonoses and Foodborne Diseases, said care must be taken to ensure that

pigs and their meat were checked for all diseases, including the H1N1 virus that

may be present in the blood of infected animals.

" Meat from sick pigs or pigs found dead should not be processed or used for

human consumption under any circumstances, " he told Reuters.

It is possible for flu viruses such as the new H1N1 strain to survive the

freezing process and be present in thawed meat, as well as in blood, the expert

said. But he stressed that there was no risk of infection from eating or

handling pork so long as normal precautions were adhered to.

" While it is possible for influenza viruses to survive the freezing process and

be present on thawed meat, there are no data available on the survival of

Influenza A/H1N1 on meat nor any data on the infectious dose for people, " he

wrote in an email reply to questions from Reuters about risks from the

respiratory secretions and blood of infected pigs.

Schlundt said it was still unclear whether and how long the virus, which is

commonly known as swine flu but also contains human and avian flu pieces, would

be present in the blood and meat-juices of animals which contracted it.

" The likelihood of influenza viruses to be in the blood of an infected animal

depends on the specific virus. Blood (and meat-juice) from influenza

H1N1-infected pigs may potentially contain virus, but at present, this has not

been established, " he said.

The WHO has urged veterinarians, farm hands and slaughterhouse workers to

exercise caution in their contact with pigs to avoid contamination until more is

known about how it manifests in the animals.

" In general, we recommend that persons involved in activities where they could

come in contact with large amounts of blood and secretions, such as those

slaughtering/eviscerating pigs, wear appropriate protective equipment, " Schlundt

said.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and World Organisation for Animal

Health (OIE) have said import bans on pigs and pork are not required to

safeguard public health because the disease is not food-borne and does not pose

a threat in dead animal tissue.

BASIC GUIDANCE

While acknowledging technical questions remain about the conditions in which the

virus may be present, Schlundt stressed that the WHO had not changed its basic

guidance that pork is safe to eat.

International trade and food safety guidelines -- drawn up well before the

latest flu scare -- provide ample protection and ensure meat is not sourced from

sick animals, he said.

" Sick animals should not enter the food chain. If you are following existing

guidelines it (the virus) will not get into the human food chain, " he said.

The Paris-based OIE has also said the new flu strain does not require

supplemental care or checks besides those in place for other diseases, and

stressed live pigs can continue to be traded using normal health inspection

standards.

The new H1N1 swine flu virus is being transmitted from person to person, not

from pigs to people.

Its global spread has prompted many countries to limit pork imports, however. As

many as 20 governments have imposed import bans on live pigs and meat from

affected countries to prevent exposure to the virus.

Such fears increased after Canadian authorities said on Saturday a herd of swine

was infected by a farmer who had returned from Mexico.

The WHO said its laboratories have confirmed more than 1,500 cases of the flu

virus in 22 countries.

While the strain is mainly spread from person to person through coughing and

sneezing, experts do not know for sure how this virus came to be, which animal

passed it to the first human patient and when that occurred.

But the case of the farmer infecting the pigs in Canada fuelled fears of the

virus yet again jumping the species barrier -- this time from pig to human --

and possibly becoming more virulent in the process.

http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSL6299708