U.S. says pork supply is ôsafeö
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, heading off concerns about the spread of swine flu among people, said the country's pork supply is 'safe.'
'There is no evidence or reports that U.S. swine have been infected with this virus,' Vilsack said in a statement on Tuesday. 'USDA is reminding its trading partners that U.S. pork and pork products are safe and there is no basis for restricting imports of commercially produced U.S. pork and pork products.'
The so-called H1N1 flu virus has only been found to infect humans. 'Any trade restrictions would be inconsistent with World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) guidelines,' Vilsack said.
OIE announced there have been no infections in animals confirmed in the zones where cases of human infection have been detected. 'Therefore, it is not necessary to introduce specific measures for international trade in swine or their products, nor are consumers of pork products at risk of infection,' Vilsack said.
U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk warned that 'restrictions on U.S. pork or pork products or any meat products from the United States resulting from the recent outbreak do not appear to be based on scientific evidence and may result in serious trade disruptions without cause.'
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has so far identified about 40 cases of H1N1 human influenza in the United States, including seven affected people in California, two in Kansas, 28 in New York, one in Ohio, and two in Texas. All were mild cases with no deaths.
U.S. says pork supply is ‘safe?
