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Pork producers remain committed to food safety, animal well-being despite H1N1 flu

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[May 06, 2009]  SPRINGFIELD -- In the wake of the H1N1 flu outbreak, Illinois pork producers want to assure the public that there is no one more committed to food safety and animal well-being than producers themselves.

"Illinois pork producers have a long history of good animal care and management," says Phil Borgic, president of the Illinois Pork Producers Association and a pork producer from Nokomis. "We rely on leading international and governmental agencies responsible for managing the H1N1 flu response to present factual and accurate information. However, we also want to (assure) the public that, to date, there have been no reports that the influenza virus currently causing illness in humans is circulating anywhere in the U.S. swine herd."

Illinois pork producers take many precautions and vigilantly monitor their swine herds for any indication of illness or disease. In fact, the very systems employed by producers to raise their pigs allow them to better protect their animals from extremes in weather, predators and exposure to elements that may make them sick. Because many pork producers operate a closed production system, they can monitor and track the health of each pig in their care, which allows them to provide a living environment that is conducive to a healthy life for their animals.

"We take our job in providing the people of Illinois and the greater United States with safe, affordable and wholesome pork products very seriously," says Borgic. "In doing so, it is imperative that we provide our animals with a safe living environment to ensure the health and well-being of our pigs."

In consultation with their local veterinarians, producers are able to provide animals with a safe, healthy living environment. With the help of their vets, producers can better prevent and treat disease as well as ensure their animals' overall well-being. Because the animals live in a controlled environment, the veterinarians and producers are able to create treatment plans for individual animals and better monitor their recovery and overall health.

While the exact origin of the most recent H1N1 influenza virus is still under investigation, there is no indication that this virus originated on a farm. This virus is transmitted via person-to-person contact and has not been linked to swine-to-person contact.

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According to the World Health Organization, the World Organization for Animal Health, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the U.S. departments of Agriculture, Health and Human Services, and Homeland Security, the H1N1 flu strain that has been contracted by a number of people worldwide cannot be transmitted by eating or handling pork; it does not pose a threat to the safety of food.

For more information about the pork industry and the H1N1 flu, visit factsaboutpork.org. Additional information on the H1N1 influenza virus is available at www.pandemicflu.gov.

The Illinois Pork Producers Association is an agricultural trade association representing more than 2,900 pork producers throughout Illinois and the Illinois pork industry, which contributes more than $1.7 billion and more than 7,800 jobs to the state's economy. IPPA is comprised of county pork producer organizations in approximately 20 counties throughout Illinois. IPPA is an affiliate of the National Pork Producers Council and the National Pork Board.

[Text from file received from Illinois Pork Producers Association]

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