ARS | Publication request: Absence of Pandemic H1N1 Influenza A Virus in Fresh Pork

Submitted to: PLoS One
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: November 24, 2009
Publication Date: December 18, 2009
Citation: Vincent, A.L., Lager, K.M., Harland, M., Lorusso, A., Zanella, E., Ciacci-Zanella, J.R., Kehrli, Jr., M.E., Klimov, A. 2009. Absence of Pandemic H1N1 Influenza A Virus in Fresh Pork. PLoS ONE. 4:(12):e8367.

Interpretive Summary: The emergence of the pandemic 2009 H1N1 influenza A virus in humans and subsequent discovery that it was related to swine influenza viruses raised many questions about this novel virus. One such concern relates to food safety, if swine were to become infected with the pandemic virus would the meat be contaminated with virus and be a potential source of human infection? To address this question we tested non-respiratory tract tissues for virus following infection of young pigs with the pandemic 2009 H1N1 virus. Pigs experimentally infected with pandemic 2009 H1N1 influenza A virus developed respiratory disease; however, there was no evidence for systemic disease to suggest that pork from pigs infected with H1N1 influenza would contain infectious virus. Virus was not detected in serum, muscle, nor internal organs outside the respiratory tract. These findings support the WHO recommendation that pork harvested from pandemic influenza A H1N1 infected swine is safe to consume when following standard meat hygiene practices.

Technical Abstract: Pigs experimentally infected with pandemic 2009 H1N1 influenza A virus developed respiratory disease; however, there was no evidence for systemic disease to suggest that pork from pigs infected with H1N1 influenza would contain infectious virus. These findings support the WHO recommendation that pork harvested from pandemic influenza A H1N1 infected swine is safe to consume when following standard meat hygiene practices.