Re: Queensland Piggery quarantined over swine flu fears
Dalby piggery quarantined over swine flu fears
By Fidelis Rego
Posted 53 minutes ago
Updated 24 minutes ago
Dr Glanville says the influenza virus was probably spread by workers on the property. (ABC TV)
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The CSIRO will analyse samples today to see if pigs in southern Queensland have swine flu.
The 3,000-head piggery near Dalby on the Darling Downs was quarantined yesterday after several animals tested positive for Influenza A.
A vet raised concerns on Monday when he noticed a large number of pigs at the property were showing flu-like symptoms.
More samples have been sent to the CSIRO laboratory in Victoria to confirm if swine flu is present.
Queensland's chief veterinary officer, Ron Glanville, says the influenza virus was probably spread by workers on the property.
"There certainly had been workers there with influenza symptoms," he said.
"The piggery workers there are taking normal protective action, the same as you do if you come in contact with a human with influenza.
"Certainly there won't be pigs moving off the property unless they're healthy, so there won't be any risks to humans from that perspective and certainly the meat is safe.
"It's a 3,000-head piggery with about 370 sows, we expect that most of those pigs in the piggery will eventually become infected with influenza, it's quite contagious so it'll probably spread through the piggery.
"The control measures that we put in place is to quarantine the piggery and basically keep it under quarantine until the disease burns out."
But Australian Pork Limited's Andrew Spencer says it is likely swine flu will eventually spread to other piggeries.
"
Considering that people and pigs do have to interact so that the pigs are well looked after, I think it has become an inevitable reality," he said.
Mr Spencer says authorities have followed the correct procedure, acting quickly to quarantine the piggery.
"
All of the affected properties have been placed under quarantine - there are protocols in place around how those properties can continue operations and that means they still can actually send pigs for slaughter into the food chain as long they meet certain conditions," he said.
The Western Downs Mayor says biosecurity measures at a Darling Downs piggery are good enough to prevent swine flu from spreading.
Councillor Ray Brown says the response has been adequate.
"I don't believe it will have any impact at all because it doesn't have any damage issues relating to the eating of pork or pig meat, so to me Biosecurity [Queensland] has done what they do best - a full lockdown of the property, a full quarantine of the property," he said.
Cr Brown says the suspected outbreak will not impact the region.
"The outbreak's been contained inside its own piggery itself and I think a lot of credit's got to go to the owner of the establishment, also for confirming the outbreak and realising the situation that's occurred," he said.
Wipe out
The Queensland Pork Producers Organisation says it is doing all it can to ensure piggeries remain free of disease.
The organisation's vice-president, Robyn Boundy, says the disease has the potential to financially wipe out piggeries.
"Once you are quarantined you can't market any stock until the quarantine is lifted," she said.
"You also have ongoing piglets being born so you end up with an overcrowding situation which could cause stock to have to be destroyed on welfare grounds only."
The Queensland Government activated the Emergency Animal Disease Response Plan in response to the possible swine flu outbreak.
Earlier this month, piggeries in the Goulburn Valley in Victoria and central western New South Wales were also quarantined.
Meanwhile, Queensland has recorded another two swine flu-related deaths.
A 35-year-old Cairns man and a 29-year-old Gold Coast woman have died due to complications from the illness.
Queensland's swine flu-related death toll is now 30.:tiphat:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/08/26/2666905.htm?section=justin
