Page 603 of articles about news in Swine news

The novel A/H1N1 influenza virus has been identified and being very closely related to the human strains based on the genes sequenced so far. Full characterisation is continuing and so is virus isolation in eggs. It is highly probable that the pigs were exposed to the virus from a farm worker who had recently returned from Mexico and had been exhibiting flu-like symptoms.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) have published their Community Summary Report on Food-borne Outbreaks in the EU in 2007. It shows that Salmonella remained the most common cause of food-borne outbreaks in the European Union, followed by food-borne viruses and Campylobacter. A total of 5,609 outbreaks were reported in 2007, which affected almost 40,000 people and caused 19 deaths.

Canada Pork International had estimated on Thursday that pork exports had dropped 5% to 10% because of the flu.

Incorrect reporting of the H1N1 flu as "swine" flu has compounded the economic squeeze the U.S. pork industry has experienced during the past 19 months, when producers lost an average of $20 per hog, N.P.P.C. continued. Producers have lost another $6 per pig, with average hog prices falling from $124 a head on April 24 to $118 on April 28, since the flu outbreak became a major news story. This decline has cost the industry approximately $2.5 million a day, N.P.P.C. relayed.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) indicates that it has found H1N1 flu virus in a swine herd in Alberta. The safety of the food supply is not affected and Canadian pork continues to be safe to eat. While further testing is needed to more fully characterize the virus, the CFIA is taking a precautionary approach. The herd has been placed under quarantine, and the Agency is working with public health colleagues to determine the most appropriate next steps to ensure that public and animal health remain protected. The chance that these pigs could transfer virus to a person is remote.

The figures from the livestock survey of December 2008 show an increase in the swine population in Spain of 5.6% in the last 8 months, with an increase of nearly 3% in the last 4 months. (Original in Spanish. Read Google translation here).

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) today released the results of a comprehensive benefit-cost analysis on the National Animal Identification System (NAIS).

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will hold a series of listening sessions on the National Animal Identification System. The meetings will take place this month in Alabama, Colorado, Connecticut, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington state.

In markets that remain open, educating consumers and maintaining confidence in the safety of pork is a major challenge. Japan, South Korea and Taiwan are just a few examples of markets in which U.S. pork continues to be readily available to consumers, and where health officials have emphasized the safety of pork.

A regulation on the introduction into the European Union of small quantities of animal products intended for personal consumption – a measure that will help reduce the risks of importing serious animal diseases into the EU – enters into force tomorrow May 1, 2009. The regulation brings together in one legal text, the different weight limits for the quantities of products of animal origin that can be introduced into the EU by travellers or sent through the post.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that it is accepting applications for 2010 funding for five export market development programs administered by USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service: the Market Access Program (MAP), the Foreign Market Development Cooperator Program (FMD), the Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops (TASC) Program, the Quality Samples Program (QSP), and the Emerging Markets Program (EMP). All the programs are designed to help expand commercial export markets for U.S. agricultural products.

Canadian farmers who are finding it difficult to obtain loans due to the tightening of global credit markets can count on the Government of Canada to provide expanded access to credit, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced today. The Harper Government will bring forward new legislation to guarantee an estimated $1 billion in loans over the next five years to Canadian farm families and cooperatives, most of which will go to farmers and cooperatives that were previously ineligible.

On Tuesday, the Egyptian parliament voted to slaughter the country’s entire pig livestock of around 250,000 animals in a precautionary measure.

New and expanding swine production facilities in North Carolina are required to use manure management systems that meet the strictest environmental performance standards in the nation.

Scientific collaboration between the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) and Teagasc has been formally recognised with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two organisation.

The Board of the Food Standards Agency approved changes to the charging system for official controls, known as inspections and audits, in UK meat businesses such as abattoirs and cutting plants.