New flu virus attacks Sask. hog barn workers
Swine flu ruled out in apparent 'one-off' event
Last Updated: Tuesday, July 7, 2009 | 7:29 PM CT
CBC News
Health and veterinary officials on Tuesday reported that two hog barn workers had been ill with a new strain of flu. Both recovered and animals in the barns were healthy, officials said. (CBC) Two workers in Saskatchewan's hog farm industry have tested positive for what health officials are calling a "novel" strain of flu virus and have fully recovered, government officials reported Tuesday.
Dr. Moira McKinnon, the province's chief medical health officer, stressed that the virus identified was "non-pandemic," adding that the two workers did not contract the H1N1 swine flu virus currently in the news.
Officials could not say how the workers came to contract the new virus, but said they had not been outside of the country. A third worker may have also contracted the same new strain, they added.
According to McKinnon, the workers experienced mild flu-like
'All the checks and balances are in place to make sure that we keep this confined.'—Dr. Moira McKinnon, Saskatchewan Chief Medical Health Officer
symptoms about two weeks ago and they were tested at the time to determine if they had contracted H1N1.
McKinnon said the lab results revealed something different and unusual. Further examination determined that a new strain of flu had emerged.
Saskatchewan's chief medical health officer Dr. Moira McKinnon reported Tuesday that two hog barn workers have completely recovered after a bout with a new strain of flu. (CBC) "These events do happen, and they do happen occasionally," McKinnon told reporters at a news conference in Regina. "In the current heightened scenario, we've picked this one up. It will probably not transmit. It will probably go no further than it's gone already.
"This happens every now and again with influenza viruses."
The fact that workers associated with the pork industry contracted the virus was noted, but officials said the animals and the food were fine.
"These animals are healthy when they go to slaughter," Dr. Greg Douglas, chief veterinary officer for the Saskatchewan ministry of agriculture, told reporters. "All the checks and balances are in place to make sure that we keep this confined."
McKinnon said the virus may have been a "one-off" event, noting that laboratories have not come across any other examples of the strain detected.
Increased bio-security at barns
"In the past, most of these events do not end up transmitting from human to human, and result in what's called a dead end," McKinnon said.
Bio-security measures include requiring workers to shower before entering barns, and monitoring the health of all workers.
McKinnon said that workers associated with the barns, which are located in eastern Saskatchewan, will be administered general flu shots. It was believed that the current seasonal influenza immunization would be effective against the new strain.
Dr. Greg Douglas, the chief veterinary officer for the province of Saskatchewan, said Tuesday that all animals in the hog operation are healthy. Two workers from the barns had a bout with a new strain of flu. (CBC) Officials said the virus was still being investigated and hesitated before giving it a name. McKinnon finally settled on "non-pandemic influenza A virus".
"It does have the potential, possibly, of being a new virus that spreads," McKinnon noted. "That's why we have put in all these measures and will be extremely careful and vigilant about what's happening here."
John LaClare, president of Big Sky Farms, confirmed Tuesday that the affected workers came from that company's barns, but declined to say which one. The company operates 45 hog barns across Saskatchewan.
LaClare repeated the observations of health and veterinary officials that the flu identified did not affect any animals.
"Two of our workers have been confirmed to have experienced the novel, non-pandemic influenza A virus," LaClare said on Tuesday. "Both received treatment, have returned to work after a complete recovery and there's no evidence of the virus in any of our hogs."
"It's a flu virus," LaClare added. "Viruses circulate all the time and I think it would be very difficult to track down the actual cause and not a good idea to speculate at this point where it might have come from."
