Officials Suspect Fairgoers Gave Minnesota State Fair Pigs H1N1

Officials suspect fairgoers gave Minnesota State Fair pigs H1N1!  Three pigs on exhibit at the fair tested positive for the virus.

If the preliminary result is confirmed, it would be the first time the virus has been found in U.S. animals.

The complete story at TwinCities.Com, reports the infected pigs were tested during research in the State Fair’s swine barn, between 8/26 and 9/1. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the University of Iowa were involved in the research.

Minnesota’s Commissioner of Agriculture, Gene Hugoson, said “There is absolutely no food safety risk from eating any kind of pork that has been contaminated with H1N1…Any pig that would exhibit any kind of  health indications would not be accepted for slaughter.”

There have been seven deaths and nearly 500 hospitalizations linked to H1N1 in Minnesota.

Although a group of 4-H students became ill with H1H1 during the fair, the USDA said, “information available at this time would suggest the children were not sickened by contact with the fair pigs.”

The pigs each had different owners and were tested on different days so even though officials suspect fairgoers gave Minnesota State Fair pigs H1N1, they cannot be sure.