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Amador Prepares For Swine Flu |
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Thursday, 30 April 2009 |
 Amador County - In all the reports about swine flu, little is mentioned about the swine themselves and the effect such an outbreak could have on public gatherings that feature swine. Concern have arisen amongst Amador County residents as to whether a possible swine flu outbreak in California will change plans for the Amador County Fair this July. “At this time, we have every intention to continue with our fair as planned,” said Troy Bowers, CEO of the Amador County Fair, adding: “We are joined at the hip and receiving daily updates from the California Food and Agriculture Department.” To date, there are no known cases of swine flu in California pigs. The CDFA is closely monitoring the situation and evaluating the health of California’s swine herd. Preliminary investigations of swine flu cases in Southern California indicate that the virus was not obtained through direct contact with pigs. “It is important to understand that there are no reports of swine flu in pigs in California, or the United States, at this time,” said California State Veterinarian Dr. Richard Breitmeyer. According to a statement released by the CDFA, its top priority is to test any pigs that are linked to a human swine flu case or are showing signs of a respiratory disease. “In comparison to many states, California is a relatively small pork producer with fewer than 100,000 animals, ranking 28th in the country,” says the release. At the same time that a global outbreak has been deemed “imminent” by the World Health Organization, the Division of Fairs and Expositions is currently working with CDFA Animal Health officials to reduce apprehension related to swine health by focusing on communication and outreach. Bowers said he is not concerned, and he’s confident that all departments are taking the appropriate measures to monitor the situation. Bowers said, “the CDFA is very active in ensuring that California Fairs remain safe and humane for both the animals and the people.” He said the Amador County Fair has a Quality Assurance Program to teach kids bio-security measures like washing your hands after handling livestock and monitoring swine for flu-like symptoms. In Bower’s memory, he can only recall one previous time when animal sickness became an issue, during the hoof and mouth scare that originated in Britain in 2001. Swine influenza viruses were first isolated in the United States in 1930. Since that time, “they have become an economically important cause of respiratory disease in pigs throughout the world, and a human public health risk.” Story by Alex Lane
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