At least one pig in the US has tested positive for the H1N1 virus, the US department of agriculture said today, the country’s first case of a pig contracting the virus.

US agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack said in a statement that USDA officials have begun to reach out to US trade partners and international organisations to emphasise that H1N1, also known as swine flu, cannot be contracted by eating pork products.

“We have fully engaged our trading partners to remind them … that there is no scientific basis to restrict trade in pork and pork products,” Vilsack said. “People cannot get this flu from eating pork or pork products. Pork is safe to eat.”

The USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories confirmed the presence of H1N1 after an initial test suggested that as many as three pigs may have had the virus. The USDA is continuing to conduct tests to confirm other potential positive tests from the pig samples. The original samples were taken as a part of a university research project from pigs shown at the Minnesota state fair between 26 August and 1 September.

Source/Full Story: guardian.co.uk
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