News Bulletin - Type A H1N1 Flu
Sunday, April 26, 2009
There have been more than 1,500 cases of severe human respiratory illness reported in Mexico, some of which have resulted in deaths. Several more cases of human swine influenza have been reported in the United States and Canada.
This is not a food safety issue, nor have any cases of this type of swine flu (known as H1N1 Type A) been reported in pigs in Canada.
It is a provincially reportable disease that must be reported to a veterinarian if it does occur. Manitoba Pork Council (MPC) urges producers to follow strict disease prevention protocols. Along with normal biosecurity practices, this means you should not allow any farm employee who exhibits flu-like symptoms to come in contact with pigs or other barn workers.The Public Health Agency of Canada is coordinating the Canadian response to this situation, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) will provide support and expertise. MPC will relay information from these agencies to producers and industry as soon as possible.
The following links provide further information from: Dr. Wayne Lees, chief veterinary officer for Manitoba, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, and the Government of Manitoba.
If you have specific questions about herd health, contact your veterinarian.