Pandemic H1N1 2009 Virus in Swine and Poultry
Last updated December 16, 2010. At the current time, this content is considered historical and will not be updated until further notice.
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Swine
After being identified in humans, the pH1N1 2009 strain was subsequently found in swine herds in a number of countries around the globe during 2009 and early 2010 (Pasma 2010, Sreta 2010). The virus presumably was introduced into the herds from ill or recovering workers who were harboring the virus. Following identification of the virus in a herd, the accepted practice is to monitor the herd to verify that infected animals recover before they are sent to slaughter (CFIA 2009, Pasma 2010). There is no need to quarantine or destroy infected herds, since recovered animals pose no risk to humans.
Poultry
In August 2009, the pH1N1 2009 strain was isolated from domestic turkeys on two farms in Chile (Mathieu 2010). A temporary quarantine was established and the birds were allowed to recover before going to market (rather than being culled). Since that time, the virus has been found in several additional turkey farms, including farms located in California and Canada. These incidents raise the possibility that other poultry flocks around the globe could become infected with pH1N1. The major concern is the potential for the novel pH1N1 virus and the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus to co-infect poultry, which could produce a new reassortant strain that could be much more lethal to humans than the current H1N1 pandemic strain.
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