S. Korean pigs show no signs of new flu: health officials

SEOUL, May 1 (Yonhap) -- No South Korean pig has been found to carry the type-A
flu virus pathogen that has so far infected nearly 250 people worldwide, health
officials here said Friday.

The National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service (NVRQS) said that of the
eight gene segments that make up type-A influenza H1N1, two are completely
different from those found in local pigs.
The agency, under the farm ministry, said the findings were based on annual
sampling tests conducted on pigs over the past several years. It added it has
developed tests to map gene segments and determine a pathogen's characteristics.
The announcement by the NVRQS mirrors similar findings by the World Health
Organization (WHO), which has said it has yet to find any cases of pigs carrying
the new virus strain. More than 170 deaths have been confirmed or are suspected
to be linked to the so-called "swine flu," mostly in Mexico.
Almost a quarter of all pigs in the world carry antibodies for some type of the
H1N1 virus, indicating previous infections. The disease is rarely transmitted to
humans and has a very low fatality rate among animals.
The WHO, however, said that the type-A influenza shows characteristic of human
and bird flu virus as well as those of two separate strains of swine influenza
virus. The global agency has said it is still trying to determine the origin of
this particular flu strain.
"(South Korea) maintains a good virus monitoring system that can allow scientists
to quickly develop vaccines and test kits," said Lee Joo-ho, director of the
NVRQS.
Lee said South Korea has greatly increased efforts isolate the outbreak of the
disease abroad, and is working with foreign experts and local laboratories to
find a way to deal with the virus.
The first case of the disease was reported last month near Mexico City, and has
since spread worldwide, with Seoul reporting three probable cases since Tuesday.
Confirming whether a patient has indeed contracted the disease can take up to two
weeks.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
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