The WHO has cautioned that meat from pigs infected with the new H1N1 virus shouldn't be used for human consumption.
The World Health Organization has cautioned that meat from pigs infected with the new H1N1 virus shouldn't be used for human consumption. It is also drawing up guidelines to protect workers handling pigs.Although, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), import bans are not required to safeguard public health because the disease is not food-borne and has not been identified in dead animal tissue, the WHO, however, said it was possible for flu viruses to survive the freezing process and be present in thawed meat, as well as in blood.According to the director of WHO's Department of Food Safety, Zoonoses and Foodborne Diseases, meat from sick pigs or pigs found dead should not be processed or used for human consumption under any circumstances. While it is possible for influenza viruses to survive the freezing process and be present on thawed meat, there are no data available on the survival of Influenza A/H1N1 on meat nor any data on the infectious dose for people. He warned people to be cautious with blood and meat-juices from H1N1-infected pigs.
The likelihood of influenza viruses to be in the blood of an infected animal depends on the specific virus. Blood (and meat-juice) from influenza H1N1-infected pigs may potentially contain virus, but at present, this has not been established. Nonetheless, in general, it was also recommend that persons involved in activities where they could come in contact with large amounts of blood and secretions, such as those of slaughtering or eviscerating pigs, wear appropriate protective equipment. The new H1N1 swine flu virus is currently being transmitted from person to person, and not from pigs to people.Its global spread has prompted many countries to limit pork imports. As many as 20 governments have imposed import bans on live pigs and meat from affected countries to prevent exposure to the virus. According to the WHO report, 23 countries have officially reported 1893 laboratory confirmed cases of Influenza A (H1N1).
The likelihood of influenza viruses to be in the blood of an infected animal depends on the specific virus. Blood (and meat-juice) from influenza H1N1-infected pigs may potentially contain virus, but at present, this has not been established. Nonetheless, in general, it was also recommend that persons involved in activities where they could come in contact with large amounts of blood and secretions, such as those of slaughtering or eviscerating pigs, wear appropriate protective equipment. The new H1N1 swine flu virus is currently being transmitted from person to person, and not from pigs to people.Its global spread has prompted many countries to limit pork imports. As many as 20 governments have imposed import bans on live pigs and meat from affected countries to prevent exposure to the virus. According to the WHO report, 23 countries have officially reported 1893 laboratory confirmed cases of Influenza A (H1N1).
World Health Organization
May 2009
May 2009
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