By Alice McFarlane

Avian Influenza found in a pig in the U.S.

Nov 1, 2024 | 12:01 PM

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has its first case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in a pig.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack was in Iowa on Thursday when he shared details of the investigation in Oregon on reported cases of HPAI on a backyard farming operation with a mix of poultry and livestock, including swine.

“It’s not H5N1, it’s HPAI. It was a result of wild birds,” Vilsack said. “We tested the poultry, clearly, had the virus that led us to test the swine. This was a very small family farm operation with 70 birds, couple of pigs, couple of mini pigs running around out in the open and one of the swine had the virus. That’s the first time we’ve had to deal with this.”

None of the affected animals were intended for the commercial food supply, and the farm is under quarantine. Vilsack added birds at a commercial egg farm in Oregon were also infected as the wild bird migration season is underway.

“If they light and stay in a particular area for too long period of time, there’s the possibility of the virus spreading,” Vilsack said.

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In Canada, the number of cases of highly pathogenic H5N1 on poultry farms in Western Canada is climbing as wild birds continue their southward migration.

For eight months there were no new cases in Canada. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has confirmed outbreaks on at least eight commercial poultry farms in B.C. and one in Saskatchewan in the last two weeks.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

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