US confirms H5N1 bird flu in swine for first time

Los Angeles, Oct 31 (IANS) H5N1 bird flu has been confirmed in a pig in the United States for the first time, said the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The farm has been quarantined to prevent further spread of the virus. Other animals on the farm, including sheep and goats, remain under surveillance, the USDA said on Wednesday.

The Oregon Department of Agriculture said last Friday that the first H5N1 case was detected in a pig at a farm in the state, reports Xinhua news agency.

USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories confirmed Tuesday that one of the farm’s five pigs was infected with H5N1, the first detection of H5N1 in swine in the United States.

The farm is a non-commercial operation, and the animals were not intended for the commercial food supply. “There is no concern about the safety of the nation’s pork supply as a result of this finding,” said USDA in a statement.

Two field safety trials have been approved for vaccine candidates designed to protect dairy cows from H5N1, it added.

–IANS

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