Swine flu in a piggery

4:00AM Sunday Aug 02, 2009

Photo / AP

SYDNEY: Australia's first case of swine flu among pigs has been confirmed at a New South Wales piggery at Dunedeoo.

Quarantine measures have been implemented at the piggery.

"Samples taken from pigs were tested at ... laboratories and influenza A H1 has been confirmed," NSW Primary Industries Minister Ian Macdonald said.

"We believe it was most likely introduced by people working with the animals."

Veterinarians and disease response specialists are at the piggery tracing the movements of people, animals and equipment on and off the property.

"We know that no pigs have been introduced to the property in the last two years, and no pigs have moved off the property in more than a week," Macdonald said.

The pigs started coughing late last week. The NSW Food Authority confirmed that pork is safe to eat and that no sick animals have entered the food chain.

Under authority guidelines, sick animals are not permitted to be slaughtered.