‘No food safety risk’ after pigs catch human swine flu

PIGS in Northern Ireland have contracted the human form of swine flu, it has been confirmed.

It is the first European case of the H1N1 pandemic flu virus being found in pigs, although such cases have been reported elsewhere.

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Belfast said tests on a batch of piglets submitted by a private veterinary practice tested positive for the virus. A spokesperson said this finding is not unexpected, given that this virus is currently circulating in humans.