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03/03/2006
WHO just strains for effect: Pigs are not easily infected with bird flu
“The WHO does radiate a lot of panic if stating that the H5N1 strain of bird flu may be transferred to human beings via pigs”, says the ISN Interessengemeinschaft der Schweinehalter Deutschlands.
As, however, said by the President of the German Robert Koch Institute (supervisory and research establishment reporting to the German Federal Ministry of Health), Mr Reinhard Kurth, pigs obviously are not easily infected with bird flu currently. According to information given by Reuters, Kurth also said that the risk of infection has not increased for human beings in Germany, even though a male cat had died recently after having been infected with H5N1 on the German island of Rügen.
This issue started to be discussed about after the H5N1 infected male cat had been found on the island of Rügen and after WHO spokesperson Mrs Maria Cheng then started to worry about the bird flu virus to become capable of spreading to pigs, where it might finally blend with human flu viruses. In such case, the virus might be retransferred to human beings, and a pandemic possibly would be started. Relating to this, Mrs Cheng referred to European pandemics which had been activated by bird flu viruses in 1957 and 1968.
In the 1950s, cows, pigs and poultry usually were held together with cats and watchdogs. “Mrs Cheng does not seem to be informed about the fact that the conditions under which livestock is held have changed considerably over the past 50 years”, says the ISN.
“Unlike in Asia, pigs are held in modern stables in Germany today in which no other species but pigs are held,” the ISN continues. “On top of that, these stables are completely inaccessible to any kind of poultry whatsoever.” So, the consumers’ health is best protected by this way of keeping pigs. “With pigs being kept the way they are held today, direct infection of pigs with H5N1 is out of the question in Germany”, is what the ISN is convinced of.
In Asia, even the ways of marketing poultry facilitate the bird flu virus to spread. Unlike in Germany, where poultry is sold via butcheries and supermarkets after slaughter, most of the poultry sold in Asia is marketed alive on livestock markets.
As, however, said by the President of the German Robert Koch Institute (supervisory and research establishment reporting to the German Federal Ministry of Health), Mr Reinhard Kurth, pigs obviously are not easily infected with bird flu currently. According to information given by Reuters, Kurth also said that the risk of infection has not increased for human beings in Germany, even though a male cat had died recently after having been infected with H5N1 on the German island of Rügen.
This issue started to be discussed about after the H5N1 infected male cat had been found on the island of Rügen and after WHO spokesperson Mrs Maria Cheng then started to worry about the bird flu virus to become capable of spreading to pigs, where it might finally blend with human flu viruses. In such case, the virus might be retransferred to human beings, and a pandemic possibly would be started. Relating to this, Mrs Cheng referred to European pandemics which had been activated by bird flu viruses in 1957 and 1968.
In the 1950s, cows, pigs and poultry usually were held together with cats and watchdogs. “Mrs Cheng does not seem to be informed about the fact that the conditions under which livestock is held have changed considerably over the past 50 years”, says the ISN.
“Unlike in Asia, pigs are held in modern stables in Germany today in which no other species but pigs are held,” the ISN continues. “On top of that, these stables are completely inaccessible to any kind of poultry whatsoever.” So, the consumers’ health is best protected by this way of keeping pigs. “With pigs being kept the way they are held today, direct infection of pigs with H5N1 is out of the question in Germany”, is what the ISN is convinced of.
In Asia, even the ways of marketing poultry facilitate the bird flu virus to spread. Unlike in Germany, where poultry is sold via butcheries and supermarkets after slaughter, most of the poultry sold in Asia is marketed alive on livestock markets.
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