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Questions, answers about swine flu

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By Tiffany Y. Latta, Staff Writer Updated 2:58 PM Monday, May 11, 2009

Nationwide, the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention on Monday, May 11, increased the number of confirmed swine flu cases to 2,600.

The disease, which was first reported in the United States in April, has been attributed to three deaths nationwide, including two in Texas and one in the District of Columbia.

Ohio has seven confirmed cases of the novel flu, including a 30-year-old Butler County man who officials announced tested positive for the virus on Friday, May 8.

The man had returned from Cancun, Mexico, at the end of April and apparently was feeling ill while in Mexico.

He was not hospitalized, but is being treated at home with antiviral medications, said Butler County Health Department officials.

Officials also said because his symptoms were mild and he was isolated at home. They are confident the disease’s spread will be limited.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services offers these answers to frequently asked questions:

Q. Do any swine in the United States have the H1N1 flu virus that has infected humans?

A. There is no evidence at this time \swine in the United States are infected with this virus strain.

Q. Can the H1N1 virus be transferred from humans to swine or vice versa?

A. USDA’s National Animal Disease Center in Ames, Iowa, is conducting tests to determine the transmissibility and severity of the H1N1 flu virus in pigs. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency through its surveillance, announced it found the H1N1 flu virus in a swine herd in Alberta. The CFIA believes it is highly probable the pigs were exposed to the virus from a Canadian who had recently returned from Mexico and had been exhibiting flu-like symptoms. Signs of illness were subsequently observed in the pigs. The individual has recovered and all of the pigs are recovering or have recovered. The pigs are in quarantine.

USDA continues to monitor the U.S. swine herd and to date, this particular strain of H1N1 has not been found in U.S. swine.

Q. Can I get this new strain of virus from eating pork or pork products?

A. No. According to USDA scientists, H1N1 flu is not a foodborne disease, it is a respiratory disease. USDA continues to educate the public through its food safety efforts and reminds consumers all meat and poultry products are safe to eat when properly prepared and cooked since this kills all foodborne pathogens. More information about safe food handling is available at www.befoodsafe.gov.

Q. What steps can I take to make sure I prepare my food properly?

A. USDA reminds consumers to practice safe food handling and preparation techniques for all meat and poultry. Eating properly handled and cooked meat and poultry products is safe. Information about safe food preparation and cooking is available at www.befoodsafe.gov.

Q. What is this flu people are talking about in the news?

A. It is a new strain of flu that consists of a mixture of genetic material from swine, avian and human influenza viruses.

Q. Is USDA testing and monitoring to make sure swine are not infected with the virus and if so, how?

A. A network of Federal veterinarians, state animal health officials and private practitioners are regularly involved with monitoring U.S. swine for signs of significant disease.

To date, there have been no reports the influenza virus currently causing illness in humans is circulating anywhere in the U.S. swine herd.

As a proactive measure, USDA is contacting all state animal health officials to affirm they have no signs of this virus type in their state.

USDA has put U.S. pork producers on a high alert for safety.

As part of a comprehensive safeguarding system, USDA’s laboratories routinely provide diagnostic and research services in support of ongoing operational programs.

Q. How will the public be notified if the government finds H1N1 flu in a U.S. herd?

A. Delivering factual, timely information is a priority for USDA. Should there be a detection of influenza in the U.S. swine herd, those results would be shared with the public in a timely fashion.

As with all potential animal health disease situations, USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories stand ready to provide support of disease control and eradication programs, reagents for diagnostic testing, training and laboratory certification.

Q. Can you get H1N1 flu from being around or touching swine?

A. The CDC says the spread of H1N1 flu can occur in two ways:

Through contact with infected pigs or environments contaminated with H1N1 flu virus.

Through contact with a person with H1N1 flu. Human-to-human spread of the H1N1 flu is thought to occur in the same way as seasonal flu. Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people.

Q. How do we ensure we take the appropriate measures to protect our swine?

A. We encourage commercial pork producers to intensify the bio-security practices they’ve long had in place. They should not loan equipment or vehicles to or borrow them from other farms. Swine from outside sources, such as transitional herds should not be brought back to the farm. Transitional herd is the term used to define those herds that have some likelihood of contact with feral swine.

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