Scientific American: U.S. pig farms may flu factories

Coming that could next pandemic flu virus from pigs, but are we monitor their health closely enough?

Matthias Rietschel/APN that next pandemic flu virus from pigs could come, but we are tight enough monitoring their health?

Last year's H1N1 pandemic was a wake-up call to many scientists such as unpredictable and dangerous viruses in circulation in the animal world can be if you to humans directly. The outbreak of avian influenza in 2006 was our first idea.

Since then it has lot of talk about monitoring the health of the animals that most potential passed on an influenza virus with pandemic - pigs and birds.

But an article that just released says our pig in Scientific American monitoring is pretty bad. So bad that American pigs farms practical "flu factories," according to author Helen Branswell in global health are reporting to the Harvard University Nieman Fellow.

Why is so relaxed monitoring? The problem, Branswell writes, is that the pork industry reluctant data with human health officials to share. And Branswell says confidential industry pig flu tests results.

An official of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says Branswell that so often CDC get a call everyone, if someone swine flu directly from a pig catches. But in General, it is too late for CDC to study. The pigs "often slaughter was gone by the time we were able, find what actually was the exposure," says the official Branswell.

No pure swine flu H1N1, was of course - it had two genes of influenza viruses circulating normally in swine and avian and human influenza genes. But pigs (and birds) remain new pandemic viruses the species most likely to host.

Scientists, especially in Asia, have gotten much better, bird watching, but know far less about viruses that infect a billion that almost domesticated pigs all over the world. And the virus began 12 years ago, people could developing and recombining into new forms, will make much faster than before, withered monitoring a greater priority.

Earlier in this year, the CDC and u.s. Department of agriculture finally have a monitoring system for pigs have discussed for years. But it requires the support of pig producers. And you "have been reluctant to support what many consider to be an offer see by Government to interfere in your Affairs," says Branswell.

Recordings called up the national pork producers Council, industry's take on it. Spokesman Dave Warner recognized that some manufacturers may be unwilling sick pigs reporting because you fear that the Government will put you into quarantine.

NPPC officials say, are proponents of USDA CDC pig control. And say, already to submit many producers of your pigs to the Government to analyze blood samples.

Even if we handle the monitoring in the United States can get sometime soon could be the next just from another country, such as China, H1N1 almost half of the world pigs produced and does even less monitoring.

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