A pig at a backyard farm in Oregon has tested positive for H5N1 avian flu, marking the first confirmed case in the United States, officials reported on Wednesday, reports AFP.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) stated that the pig’s infection was identified on Tuesday, four days after poultry on the same farm tested positive for the virus.
"This is a non-commercial farm, and the animals were not intended for the commercial food supply," the USDA clarified, adding that the discovery poses no threat to the nation’s pork supply.
To conduct further diagnostic analysis, authorities euthanized the infected pig and four other pigs on the farm. Two pigs tested negative for the virus, while results are pending for the other two. The USDA reported that the infected pig showed no signs of illness.
The agency noted that livestock and poultry on the farm shared housing, equipment, and water sources, which have previously enabled H5N1 transmission between species. The farm is now under quarantine, and other animals on-site are under close surveillance.
Public health experts have raised concerns about the rising incidence of avian flu in mammals, as this could increase the risk of mutation into a form that spreads among humans. However, the USDA stated that genetic analysis of infected poultry from the farm has not shown any mutations in the H5N1 virus that would make it more transmissible to humans.
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