'No flu risk' from eating infected pigs

1 August 2009

The multi-billion-dollar Australian dollar pork industry says there is no danger to consumers after a swine flu outbreak at a piggery in central western New South Wales.

The piggery has been placed in quarantine after tests confirmed a swine flu outbreak.

The NSW Government thinks the pigs probably caught the virus from infected workers on the property and there are now strict biosecurity measures in place to try to contain its spread.

The state's chief veterinary officer Dr Bruce Christie says he expects the outbreak will not last long.

"It doesn't seem to be knocking the pigs around too much at all, generally their temperatures haven't been very high and there's just a slight cough so they should get over it easily," he said.

The CEO of Australian Pork Limited, Andrew Spencer, admits the public image of the pork industry could suffer.

"What I want to make sure of however is that consumers have no fear - you can't get the disease through consuming pork," he said.

The Australian pork industry is worth $2.5 billion a year and employs 33,000 people.

The NSW Department of Primary Industries has not said where the piggery is located.

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