Animal health officials are responding to the first case of a pig in the United States testing positive for high path H5N1 avian influenza.
On October 30, 2024, USDA confirmed that the first detection in a pig of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza had occurred on a small backyard mixed farm in Oregon that housed poultry, swine, sheep and goats.
Swine Health Information Center Executive Director Dr. Megan Niederwerder notes the investigation was triggered when birds on the farm started showing clinical signs of infection.
We know that H5N1 is a specific highly pathogenic avian influenza strain that has really increased with regards to circulation over the last two years. This is primarily maintained in migratory waterfowl but the virus has spilled over into other mammalian species such as seals and sea lions as well as domestic livestock including dairy cattle, first detected in March of 2024 and now in the first pig in October of 2024. These pigs that were housed on this farm, there were five pigs, none of these animals were intended for the commercial food supply.
Pork continues to be safe for consumption. There is no concern about the safety of the nation’s pork supply as a result of this finding.
The other aspect of this detection is that none of the pigs that were housed on the operation, including the one that was found to be infected, had any clinical signs. They were completely healthy so this could indicate a low pathogenicity in pigs. We’re still learning about that. Only a single pig has been shown to be infected so there’s a lot to learn about the potential risk to the swine industry.
~ Dr. Megan Niederwerder, Swine Health Information Center
Dr. Niederwerder encourages pork producers to review their biosecurity procedures focussing on areas where workers or equipment may be exposed to both dairy farms and pig farms or poultry farms and pig farms.
To keep up to date on the situation visit swinehealth.org.
