World animal health body condemns pig culls on flu
PARIS, April 30 (Reuters) - The World Organisation for Animal Health OIE on Thursday called "inappropriate" any move to cull pigs as a precaution against the flu virus spreading around the globe as there is no proof it is found in them.
Egypt ordered the slaughter of every pig herd in the country on Wednesday, a step the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) also said was a mistake.
"The OIE advises members that the culling of pigs will not help to guard against public or animal health risks presented by this novel A/H1N1 influenza virus and such action is inappropriate," the Paris-based body said in a statement.
Instead, countries should focus their efforts on disease surveillance and strengthening biosecurity measures, said the OIE, an intergovernmental organisation of 174 members states.
Both the OIE and the FAO said the world needed to rethink using "swine flu" to describe a virus affecting humans.
"Scientific information currently available to the OIE and partner organisations indicates that this novel A/H1N1 influenza virus is being transmitted amongst humans; there is no evidence of infection in pigs, nor of humans acquiring infection directly from pigs," the OIE said.
"Moreover (...) it is important to note that swine influenza has not been shown to be transmissible to people through eating pig meat or other products derived from pigs" it said.
(For more Reuters swine flu coverage, double-click on [nFLU] or go to here) (Reporting by Sybille de La Hamaide)
