Animal & Bird Issues
Type A influenza, one of three types of flu viruses, can live in many kinds of animals, including ducks, chickens, pigs, whales, and humans.
Pigs can be infected with both human and bird flu viruses, in addition to swine flu. Because pigs are susceptible to bird, human and swine flu viruses, they can potentially be infected with flu viruses from different species (e.g., ducks and humans) at the same time.
If this happens, it is possible for the genes of these viruses to mix and create a new virus. Most people may have little or no immune protection to this new virus. If this new virus causes illness in people and can be transmitted easily from person to person, a flu pandemic can occur. The 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic was the result of this kind of mixing of flu viruses.
Although avian (bird) type A flu viruses usually do not infect humans, rare cases of human infection with bird flu have occurred.. Most cases of bird flu infection in humans have resulted from direct or close contact with infected poultry or surfaces contaminated with secretions and excretions from infected birds.
Since November 2003, over 500 cases of human infection with highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu have been reported by more than a dozen countries in Asia, Africa, the Pacific, Europe and the Near East. Highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu viruses have never been detected among birds or people in the United States.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Information on H1N1
People cannot get this flu from eating pork or pork products. Pork is safe to eat. USDA October 16, 2009 News Release
- USDA Frequently Asked Questions about H1N1
- Secretary Vilsack Statement regarding Animal Health and 2009 Pandemic H1N1 Influenza (September 10, 2009)
- USDA H1N1 Flu Page
Protecting People Exposed to Pigs (Swine)
- CDC Interim Guidance for People who have Close Contact with Pigs in Non-commercial Settings: Preventing the Spread of Influenza A Viruses, Including the Novel Influenza A (H1N1) Virus
- Interim Guidance for Workers who are Employed at Commercial Swine Farms: Preventing the Spread of Influenza A Viruses, Including the 2009 H1N1 Virus
- What Pork Producers and Workers Need to Know about Influenza (Flu) in Pigs and People (PDF - 186 KB)
- 2009 H1N1 Flu Virus Outbreak (American Veterinary Medical Association)
Pet owners should monitor their pets' health very closely, no matter what type of animal, and visit a veterinarian if there are any signs of illness.
H1N1 flu and seasonal flu are not spread by food, whether it is raw or cooked. It is not necessary to alter cooking times or temperatures for any food product to reduce chances of contracting a flu virus. You CANNOT get H1N1 flu from eating pork or pork products.
- Food Safety and Supply Frequently Asked Questions
- Safety of Fresh Pork…from Farm to Table (U.S. Department of Agriculture)
- Ham and Food Safety (U.S. Department of Agriculture)
- Keep Food Safe: Meat (FoodSafety.gov)
A food worker with the flu does NOT present any risk to the safety of food. However, one of the best ways to reduce the spread of influenza is to keep sick people away from well people. Workers who have symptoms of the flu, such as fever, runny or stuffy nose, coughing, sneezing, sore throat, and muscle aches, should stay home and not come to work until at least 24 hours after their fever has resolved.
Food Handler Frequently Asked Questions
Worldwide, there are many strains of avian influenza virus that can be spread by migratory fowl. These viruses can cause varying degrees of illness in poultry.
The spread of a highly pathogenic avian H5N1 virus across eastern Asia and into Europe and Africa represents a significant threat, with health professionals concerned about a potential human pandemic. This virus has passed from infected poultry to humans and other mammals, and has had devastating impacts on poultry farming in several nations.
- Avian Influenza (PDF - 409 KB) (U.S. Geological Survey)
Find in-depth information on avian influenza in the USGS Field Manual of Wildlife Diseases. - Fact Sheet: Low-Pathogenicity H5N1 vs. High-Pathogenicity H5N1 (U.S. Department of Agriculture)
Find information on the differences between low-pathogenicity and high-pathogenicity H5N1.
H5N1: Interagency Screening Plan
The interagency strategic plan, developed by wildlife disease biologists, veterinarians and epidemiologists, provides a unified national system for conducting H5N1 HPAI monitoring of wild migratory birds throughout the United States. The plan serves as a guide to all federal, state, university and non-governmental organizations involved in avian influenza monitoring by providing standard procedures and strategies for data sampling, diagnostics, and management.
Related Documents
- H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza - Monthly Global Overview (Food and Agriculture Organization)
- View world regional maps showing outbreaks of H5N1 avian influenza and read about the current situation.
- Avian Influenza (USGS National Wildlife Health Center)
Find information on monitoring of wild migratory birds by the U.S. Department of the Interior. Includes reports of outbreaks in other countries. - Avian Influenza: Protecting the United States (PDF - 4.05 MB) (U.S. Department of Agriculture)[PDF en Español - 228KB]
Describes two types of bird flu and how the USDA is working with agencies nationally and internationally to watch for bird flu. - Update on Avian Influenza in Animals (Type H5) (World Organisation for Animal Health)
Read the latest official reports on test results for avian influenza, arranged by country, followed by virus type, and then by date. - Outbreaks of Avian Influenza (Subtype H5N1) in Poultry (PDF - 14 KB) (World Organisation for Animal Health)
View a graph of avian influenza outbreaks in poultry by country from the end of 2003 to the present. - National Avian Influenza Surveillance Information (U.S. Geological Survey)
View a web site showing current information about wild bird sampling for early detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in the United States. - Avian Influenza: H5N1 Timeline (World Organisation for Animal Health)
Timeline of H5N1 infection in poultry and wildlife.
- Amendment to the National Poultry Improvement Plan (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service)
APHIS increases the number of approved tests for avian influenza (AI) used in breeding and commercial poultry from two to four. - Questions and Answers: Avian Influenza (U.S. Department of Agriculture)
Learn basic facts about avian influenza. - Protect Poultry, Protect People: Basic Advice for Stopping the Spread of Avian Flu (PDF - 71 KB) (Food and Agriculture Organization)
Sets out some practices for people to help reduce the risk of disease in animals and humans. - Avian Influenza: Protecting U.S. Agriculture Brochure (PDF - 346.15 KB) (U.S. Department of Agriculture)
Brochure with information on regulations associated with importing birds and bird products into the U.S. - Antimicrobial Products to Disinfect Poultry and Other Facilities Against Avian (Bird) Flu (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)(En Español)
Provides information about disinfectants that are available to help prevent the spread of avian (bird) flu. - Avian Influenza (USDA - Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service)
Read about the threat Avian Influenza poses to U.S. poultry. - Animal Health: Avian Influenza (Food and Agriculture Organization)
Access a list of resources on avian influenza. - Avian Influenza (World Organisation for Animal Health)
Find information that governments can use to protect their countries from outbreaks of this disease.
H5N1: Protecting People Exposed to Animals
- Personal Protective Equipment and Risk for Avian Influenza (H7N3) (CDC)
Read a study on how the correct use of personal protective equipment (PPE) by persons managing avian influenza outbreaks may reduce exposure to potentially hazardous infected poultry materials. - Avian Influenza: Protecting Poultry Workers at Risk (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
Discover how employers can provide a safe environment for their poultry workers. - Interim Guidance for Protection of Persons Involved in U.S. Avian Influenza Outbreak Disease Control and Eradication Activities (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Read how to protect people involved in activities that could result in exposure to avian influenza, such as culling operations, carcass disposal, and cleaning and disinfection of premises. - Guidance for Protecting Workers Against Avian Flu (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
Learn how employers can protect workers who might expose them to avian flu can protect themselves from infection.
- Disposal of Domestic Birds Infected by Avian Influenza - An Overview of Considerations and Options (PDF - 458 KB) (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)
This document outlines critical factors in the avian influenza disposal process and includes a variety of both on- and off-site disposal/treatment options, information on cleaning and disinfecting disposal equipment, guidance on transporting infected materials for disposal, and contact information for local and state environmental, agricultural, health, and emergency response organizations. - Avian Influenza (Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife)
Read a fact sheet prepared for hunters by the State of Washington.
- H5N1 infection in domestic cats and a stone marten - Europe (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Read about the H5N1 virus infection that have been reported in domestic cats in Germany and Austria and also the detection of H5N1 infection in a stone marten in Germany. - H5N1 Avian Influenza in Domestic Cats (World Health Organization (WHO))
News story from WHO on the domestic cat in Germany that died from avian flu. Includes discussion of cat-to-cat transmission of avian flu, and the probable source of infection in cats.
