Swine flu in turkeys not a threat: Chile

According to the World Health Organisation for Animal Health, animal cases of swine flu are minor as compared to the pandemic influenza faced by the humans.

"This shouldn't be turned into a major event," said Dr. Monique Eloit, deputy director-general of the Paris-based organization for animal health, OIE.

"We are facing a human pandemic...Cases in animals are more anecdotal events," she continued.

Country's farming and livestock agency SAG Thursday announced that the pandemic virus has been detected at two large commercial farms 75 miles (120 km) west of the capital Santiago. This is the first time when the lethal virus has been found outside humans and pigs.

Detection was “not surprising”
The spread of the A(H1N1) virus in the poultry was “not surprising”. The reason being that the virus in turkeys contains human, pig and avian strains, according to Eloit. The virus was likely transmitted through the humans due to the large number of human cases in the country, she said.

After being informed about the incident by the country authorities, OIE was awaiting the detailed results to assess the various characteristics and effects of the virus found in the turkey birds, she added.

Even doctors not alarmed
Meanwhile, health officials are not particularly alarmed by reports of H1N1 virus found among turkeys on two large commercial farms in Chile.

“It’s widespread in humans, so who cares if it’s in turkeys?” said Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. “That’s a Department of Agriculture issue.”

Moreover, the virus did not kill the turkeys. It came to notice only when they stopped laying eggs and drank less water.

Though the possibility of mild pandemic flu swapping the genes with a lethal avian flu in bird hosts exists, and may jump back to people, Dr. Fauci, however, pointed out that the dangerous avian flu was circulating only in Asia and Egypt, not in South America.

“You could dream up a variety of scenarios,” he said, “but we have enough H1N1 to worry about without worrying about turkeys.”

Call it H1N1 rather than swine flu
OIE has opposed the use of term “swine flu” in reference to H1N1, due to the relative small number of cases reported among pigs and a lack of clear evidence about them transmitting the virus to humans.

Initial reports about the flu had prompted various countries to ban pork meat and few products imports from North America, though most of these bans have been lifted now.

Since its outbreak, the global death count due to the lethal influenza has touched almost 2000, affecting more than 200,000 worldwide. The virus was first seen in the month of March in Mexico and California.