It should be stated that people need not worry about the safety of eating pork. The main path for infection by influenza viruses is through the respiratory tract. Even when pork comes from a pig infected with A(H1N1), it can safely be eaten as long as it is thoroughly cooked, so people can rest assured that they will not catch the swine flu by eating pork or processed pork products.
There are more than 8 million head of swine in Taiwan, so inevitably pigs and people come into close contact. Pig breeders and livestock veterinarians should keep themselves informed about the flu epidemic situation and make sure they are able to diagnose and differentiate the illness. People who work on pig farms should cooperate with the authorities to ensure their own safety. They must take preventive measures to avoid humans passing the virus on to pigs and vice versa.
Liou Pei-pai is a former director of the Taiwan Animal Health Research Institute.
TRANSLATED BY JULIAN CLEGG
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