Local pig farmers concerned about swine flu

According to experts, a new strain of the H1N1 swine flu virus is spreading among workers on pig farms in China, and this must be urgently controlled in order to avoid another pandemic.

Reacting to the warning, the Jamaica Pig Farmers' Association says that's something the local pig industry could not survive, as it is barely weathering the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We have to try and protect our local herd and so, we have to put in additional safety measures to ensure that our herd is not infected," Angela Bardowell, secretary of the association, told THE WEEKEND STAR. "The swine flu has been going around for a little while and it has been a concern. We have been tracking it by working with the Veterinary Department. I'm not sure about the strain that has broken out in China, but what we have been tracking is the African swine flu that has been hitting various countries since early last year."

No imports of pork

The newer strain, known as G4 EA H1N1, is said to have been common on China's pig farms since 2016. As a result, the association has called for no imports of pork "because swine flu can be transmitted through pork meat and it's something that we have been watching".

Bardowell said that she and association members are unsure if the Government has heeded that warning, but said they are hopeful.

"We have no evidence that they have allowed any imports, especially since COVID-19, and there has been no importation of anything like that. But I am sure the veterinary division is keeping a close eye on that," Bardowell said.

She noted that farmers have been taking various precautions to keep their farms swine flu-free.

"One of those things is to not allow people on our farms and stuff like that. We as farmers have to take those precautions. Just before COVID hit, the association was on a drive and having regional meetings advising the farmers of the dangers of the swine flu. We had to cancel because of the government's restrictions," she said. "We have also been telling them about the various steps they can take to protect their farms and the signs they are to look out for in their animals in the event that it is manifesting in the animals."