Pigs at a Norfolk farm have been confirmed as having swine flu - the sixth case of the pandemic influenza virus in pigs in the UK.The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has not revealed the location of the farm but have stressed there is no evidence that pigs play any significant role in passing on the virus to humans.
Pigs at a Norfolk farm have been confirmed as having swine flu - the sixth case of the pandemic influenza virus in pigs in the UK.
The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has not revealed the location of the farm but have stressed there is no evidence that pigs play any significant role in passing on the virus to humans.
Routine scanning surveillance confirmed that the strain of the virus found is virtually identical to strains currently circulating in humans, but DEFRA said it was not uncommon for pigs to be affected by influenza and added it was not a notifiable disease.
The pig industry has worked with DEFRA and other government bodies to draw up a Code of Practice on influenza in pigs, which means the infected pigs will not be moved from the farm until they have recovered.
A DEFRA spokesman added there was no food safety risk, as pandemic H1N1 2009 has not been shown to be transmissible to people through eating properly handled and cooked pork or pork products.
The virus has previously been confirmed in pigs in many other countries around the world including Argentina, Australia, Canada, China, Finland, Northern Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Iceland, Ireland, Taiwan and the USA.
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