Man infects pigs with swine flu !

Now I've heard everything .......

Man infects pigs with swine flu on farm in Canada

A farm worker in Canada has infected a herd of pigs with swine flu, the first documented case of the virus being passed from human beings to animals.

The herd of pigs tested positive for the H1N1 virus after the worker returned from Mexico with the disease. The herd has been quarantined.

Brian Evans, a senior official from Canada’s food safety agency, said that up to 200 pigs had been infected at the Alberta Farm, and that both the man and pigs are recovering, adding that the virus did not seem to have spread.

He emphasised that there was no food safety concern related to this finding. "The chance that these pigs could transfer virus to a person is remote," he said.

The case adds to growing international concern about the safety of eating pork products, with Russia, China, Indonesia, Ukraine, Philippines and Serbia introducting partial or total import bans of pork from the US.

The UN and World Trade Organisation said on Saturday that there is no justification for such anti-pork trade measures as a result of the swine flu epidemic.

"To date there is no evidence that the virus is transmitted by food," statement said, adding that consumers can safely eat pig products as long as they are prepared hygienically.

full article : http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article6215137.ece