Friday July 10, 2009
Pigs at risk from people as new flu spreads
LONDON (Reuters) - There is a growing risk that pigs will catch the new H1N1 flu strain -- commonly known as swine flu -- from humans, German researchers said on Thursday.
Widespread transmission from people to pigs could mix up virus strains further, leading to unpredictable changes in the disease.
 |
Afghans look at Afghanistan's only known pig in Kabul Zoo July 4, 2009. (REUTERS/Hamid Sayedi) |
There have already been a handful of suspected cases of humans passing the current pandemic H1N1 virus to swine. The latest German research confirms it is infectious to pigs and can spread rapidly.
Thomas Vahlenkamp and colleagues from the Friedrich Loeffler Institute, Germany's national research centre for animal health, experimentally infected five pigs with the new flu.
Four days later, the virus had spread to three uninfected pigs housed with them and all the pigs showed clinical signs of disease, they reported in the Journal of General Virology.
"With the increasing numbers of human infections, a spill-over of this human virus to pigs is becoming more likely," Vahlenkamp said.
"The prevention of human-to-pig transmissions should have a high priority in order to avoid involvement of pigs in the epidemiology of this pandemic."
Encouragingly, though, while the virus spread quickly among the pigs, it did not spread to five chickens housed with them.
The World Health Organisation declared a pandemic last month following the spread of the new flu virus, which mixes swine, avian and human elements. It has killed more than 400 people globally and likely now infects millions.
Copyright © 2008 Reuters
News Poll
- Man posted doctored photos of Nik Aziz
- Heartbreaking wait for mum
- The world just got bigger
- Sodomy II: Judge decision on recusing himself on Feb 18
- Opposition leaders decry court’s ruling
- Thumbs-up for Najib
- 5-0 for BN’s Zambry
- Saiful files report over death threat
- WWF: Orang asli being used
- Weather warning for Perak, Selangor and Sabah
- 60 lose RM25mil in gold investment scam
- Canberra to set new skills list
- MAS offers CNY bargains
- Fleet card cloning ring busted with arrest of trio
- WWF: Orang asli being used
- ‘Flashing candy’ a health hazard: Health Ministry
- Sodomy II: Judge decision on recusing himself on Feb 18
- Toyota puts the brakes on problem
- Manila joins hunt for Semporna gunmen
- Man posted doctored photos of Nik Aziz
RSS
