WHO, FAO, OIE reiterate safety of pork amid concerns of A/H1N1 flu infection

Source: Xinhua | 05-08-2009 15:52

GENEVA, May 7 (Xinhua) -- The World Health Organization (WHO) and two other international organizations reiterated the safety of consuming pork and pork products on Thursday amid concerns that the fatal A/H1N1 flu virus found in pigs may infect people.

"Influenza viruses are not known to be transmissible to people through eating processed pork or other food products derived from pigs," the WHO, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) said in a joint statement.

The statement was originally issued on April 30, but the three organizations said they were reissuing it to "avoid any misunderstanding" about pork and pork products.

Quite a few countries have suspended pork imports from the United States and Canada, which have been hit hard by the swine-derived A/H1N1 virus as a preventative measure against a possible pandemic.

Concerns have grown further since last Saturday, when Canada reported the identification of the A/H1N1 virus in a swine herd in the western province of Alberta. This was the first time that pigs had been found infected by this new virus, which was first identified in Mexico.