Bird flu identified in a pig for the first time in the US, officials say
Government officials said a pig has tested positive for H5N1 bird flu in the U.S. for the first time.
According to a press release from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the pig was part of a “backyard farming operation” in Oregon where other poultry and livestock had tested positive.
The pig is one of five on the farm that shares water sources and housing with the other livestock and poultry.
Two of the five pigs tested negative for H5N1 and officials said they are still waiting on the test results for the remaining two pigs. All of the pigs were euthanized.
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The farm, located in Crook County, is not a commercial operation, and the animals were not intended for the commercial food supply, officials said.
“There is no concern about the safety of the nation’s pork supply as a result of this finding,” said the USDA.
The farm has been quarantined to prevent further spread of the virus and its other animals, including sheep and goats, remain under surveillance.
Genomic sequencing of the virus from the farm’s infected poultry did not show any changes to suggest that it is more transmissible to humans, the USDA said, so the threat to the public still remains low.
