Brussels, 05/11/2009 (Agence Europe) - In the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health on Wednesday 4 November, EU member states approved a guidance document on control and surveillance measures to protect pigs against the H1N1 pandemic influenza virus. The aim is to prepare farmers and veterinary and health authorities for an outbreak and to lessen the risk of unfounded public panic.
Veterinary services should focus efforts on timely detection of the H1N1 virus by means of targeted surveillance and sustainable movement controls once the virus has entered pig farms. The proposed measures are “based on the underlying principles of vigilance, proportionality and flexibility,” the European Commission says in a press release.
For a number of months, the Commission has been working to counter the “secondary” problem of the possible contamination of pigs with the H1N1pandemic flu virus. Cases have already been detected in Canada, Argentina and Australia, probably as a result of human transmission. While, in these countries, pigs have not yet been an additional source of contamination for humans, any appearance and spread of the pandemic among pigs in Europe could give rise to fears (which are quite unfounded) among the public.
The H1N1pandemic flu virus has been detected in turkeys in Chile, very probably resulting from transmission from humans. The Commission will monitor the situation closely. (L.C./transl.rt)