An Oregon pig has tested positive for the H5N1 bird flu virus, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported Wednesday. It is the first time that the virus has been detected in pigs in the United States.
Test results are pending for two other pigs found at the Crook County, Oregon, farm, the USDA said, while two others tested negative.
The pig that tested positive showed no signs of the disease.
The five pigs were tested for H5N1 out of an abundance of caution, according to officials, and “due to the presence of H5N1 in other animals at the facility.”
The case is worrying, since pigs can be infected with avian and human viruses at the same time, which can lead to mutated strains that more easily infect humans.
The authorities stated that there is no concern for the security of the national pork supply.
The farm is not commercial, according to the USDA, and the animals were not intended for commercial food supply. Additionally, the facility has been quarantined to prevent the spread of the virus. Sheep, goats and other animals on the farm are under surveillance, according to authorities.
The update came as the H5N1 virus continues to spread rapidly among dairy cows across the country.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the bird flu outbreak in dairy cows has so far infected 387 herds in 14 states.
Since March there have been a total of 36 human cases, most of which had direct contact with farm animals such as dairy cows and poultry. The majority of cases were reported in California and Colorado.
All patients who had tested positive have recovered. Most had redness and discharge from the eyes, and some mild respiratory symptoms.
There is no indication yet that this strain of the flu virus is mutating in a way that can easily spread between people. Last week, the CDC released the results of a month-long investigation that found no evidence that bird flu was transmitted between humans.
It’s unclear how the Oregon pig ended up exposed to bird flu, although state officials earlier this month They detected the virus in poultry on the farm.
According to authorities, the facility’s livestock and poultry shared water sources, housing and equipment. In other states, according to authorities, this combination has allowed transmission between species.