After a two month delay, Manitoba’s provincial veterinary office has confirmed that the H1N1 flu virus was detected in several hog barns in the province earlier this summer.
Wayne Lees, the province’s chief veterinary officer, said H1N1 was found in late June and early July, but details were not released until late August because of technical problems with ProMed, a web-based reporting system for disease outbreaks.
“What ended up happening was that there was a technical glitch with the ProMed server, and we tried to release this (when the outbreak occurred) … but it didn’t get picked up on their server,” Lees said, who added his office twice tried to submit information to ProMed.
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The situation was resolved when Lees called a personal contact with ProMed and told them about the problem.
Details of the HIN1 detection in Manitoba hogs were published on ProMed Aug. 28.
The release explained that H1N1 was found in a sow barn after sows vaccinated for common influenza strains began to show flu symptoms.
Tests at Manitoba Agriculture’s veterinary diagnostic lab and the National Centre for Animal Disease in Winnipeg confirmed the hogs had H1N1.
Subsequent testing after the initial positive result showed that pigs in several weanling and feeder barns in the province had also contracted H1N1.
However, in his release to ProMed, Lees didn’t identify the barns’ location or how many pigs were infected.
The release said movement of pigs to and from the barns with H1N1 was restricted and hog barn employees were reminded to maintain biosecurity protocols.
The barns were not quarantined because the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the Council of Chief Veterinary Officers have decided that such a measure is unnecessary, given the health of pigs infected with H1N1.
“The clinical picture that’s been presented is one of a very mild disease,” Lees said.
No pigs in the Manitoba barns died from the virus and the infected animals recovered after four to seven days.
“Pigs run a bit of a fever … they go off feed for awhile and they run a bit of a runny nose,” Lees said.
Manitoba Health spokesperson Charles McDougall said the matter was handled properly.
“The ag department did take care of it and the proper protocols were followed,” he said. “It was an animal health issue and treated as such.”
Lees said in his release that letters were sent to veterinarians and hog producers, asking them to report signs of H1N1 and ensure that biosecurity measures are followed to protect workers.
However, McDougall said the presence of the virus in a Manitoba hog barn is not a public health issue.
“The World Health Organization and others (have) agreed that it isn’t a food safety issue or a threat to public health.”
Lees said this won’t be the last case of H1N1 in Manitoba hog barns.
“As this pandemic strain circulates in people, we expect that more swine barns will become exposed.”
The CFIA didn’t respond to requests for a comment for this story.
