tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
This guidance is issued with the goal of preventing the spread of influenza viruses from people to pigs and from pigs to people. These recommendations are for people who work with pigs in the commercial production (farm) setting. The following interim recommendations are based on what are deemed optimal precautions for protecting workers exposed to pigs with known or suspected influenza on production premises AND for protecting pigs from people with influenza.
Background
Influenza A viruses that circulate in pigs are different from the influenza viruses circulating in people. Outbreaks of influenza in pigs from infection with swine influenza A viruses are common. In addition, pigs are uniquely susceptible to infection with influenza viruses of human, swine, and avian origin. Because of this, pigs also can serve as hosts in which influenza viruses from different species can change by undergoing reassortment if a pig is infected with two or more different influenza A viruses at the same time. (Pigs are only infected with influenza A viruses.) Reassortment is a process in which influenza viruses exchange genes during replication. The resultant new hybrid influenza A virus could be highly transmissible among animals and to people, possibly leading to an influenza pandemic.
Interspecies influenza virus infections between people and pigs are most likely to occur when people are in close proximity to pigs, such as in swine production barns. Minimizing the transmission of influenza viruses between pigs and people can protect the health of swine workers and is in the best interest of animal and human public health.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention coordinates surveillance of influenza among humans with close collaboration from state, local, and territorial health departments.
USDA?s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), coordinates surveillance of influenza among pigs through the National Swine Influenza Virus (SIV) Surveillance Program
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http://www.cdc.gov/flu/swineflu/guidance-commercial-pigs.htm
Background
Influenza A viruses that circulate in pigs are different from the influenza viruses circulating in people. Outbreaks of influenza in pigs from infection with swine influenza A viruses are common. In addition, pigs are uniquely susceptible to infection with influenza viruses of human, swine, and avian origin. Because of this, pigs also can serve as hosts in which influenza viruses from different species can change by undergoing reassortment if a pig is infected with two or more different influenza A viruses at the same time. (Pigs are only infected with influenza A viruses.) Reassortment is a process in which influenza viruses exchange genes during replication. The resultant new hybrid influenza A virus could be highly transmissible among animals and to people, possibly leading to an influenza pandemic.
Interspecies influenza virus infections between people and pigs are most likely to occur when people are in close proximity to pigs, such as in swine production barns. Minimizing the transmission of influenza viruses between pigs and people can protect the health of swine workers and is in the best interest of animal and human public health.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention coordinates surveillance of influenza among humans with close collaboration from state, local, and territorial health departments.
USDA?s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), coordinates surveillance of influenza among pigs through the National Swine Influenza Virus (SIV) Surveillance Program
..
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/swineflu/guidance-commercial-pigs.htm