Saturday, May 2, 2009

Alberta pigs believed to be infected with swine flu: source

OTTAWA — "The Canadian Press has learned federal officials are set to announce the swine flu virus is believed to have infected pigs in Alberta. A government source says the animals were thought to be infected by a farm worker who had recently been to Mexico and fell ill upon his return. This may be the first time this particular swine flu virus has been found in pigs."

The World Health Organization has insisted there is no evidence that pigs are passing the virus to humans, or that eating pork products poses an infection risk. Genetic testing shows the pigs in Alberta were infected with the same virus responsible for cases in California, Mexico and other countries around the world. Official confirmation of the pigs' infection is expected at a news conference scheduled for
Saturday afternoon in Ottawa.

The federal government, meanwhile, has expanded its swine-flu prevention campaign to Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, with a new "citizen-readiness campaign."

hattip Rikk

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