No Swine Flu In Swine Herds Or Employees, Stresses Smithfield Foods

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Main Category: Swine Flu
Also Included In: Flu / Cold / SARS;  Public Health;  Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses
Article Date: 04 May 2009 - 0:00 PDT

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Smithfield Foods Inc. has announced that there is absolutely no evidence of Swine Flu (A H1N1) in any of its swine herds or employees at any of its global operations. The company stressed that this includes those in the USA. This assurance follows a CFIE (Canadian Food Inspection Agency) announcement that a swine herd in Alberta, Canada, may have tested positive for H1N1 (swine flu).

Additional tests are ongoing to find out whether the Canadian pigs are infected with A(H1N1) - the virus which is currently infecting some humans in Mexico, USA, Canada and other countries. Smithfield Foods informs that Canadian authorities believe the Canadian pigs were probably infected by a human; a worker at the farm.

Smithfield Foods stressed that it does not own or operate any pig farms or pork processing plants in Canada, neither does it process Canadian raised pigs at any of its U.S. plants.

The current swine flu outbreak is not a foodborne illness - you cannot catch it through food.

The company stated "If it is true that the hogs were infected by human contact, it only underscores the need for proper biosecurity measures - as in any influenza situation - to protect against the spread of virus. We will continue to strictly follow rigorous biosecurity practices at all of our operations, including limiting farm access to essential personnel, preventing farm access to personnel who have recently returned from international travel, and following personal hygiene practices and procedures, such as frequent hand washing and the use of farm-specific clothing and footwear."

Smithfield Foods is the largest processor and marketer of fresh pork and packaged meats in America, as well as the country`s largest producer of hogs.

SOURCE Smithfield Foods, Inc.

• See our Map Of H1N1 Outbreaks
• See our Mexico Swine Flu Blog

Written by Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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