APHIS Discussing Emergency H1N1 Plan

USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is holding a series of meetings with government agencies, state animal health and public health officials and pork industry associations to share its plans and recommendations in the event of a positive diagnosis of Type A H1N1 virus in the U.S. swine herd. The meetings with state animal health officials will help coordinate actions in their respective states working with swine veterinarians and pork producers to implement on-farm plans. State public health officials will play an additional role if there are swine-associated human cases of H1N1.

APHIS has shared its plans with the Agricultural Research Service, the Food Safety Inspection Service and the Centers for Disease Control for responding to an H1N1 positive herd and for enhancing surveillance so that the full federal and state government has the same understanding of the plans. The APHIS plans will also be shared with the House and Senate Agriculture Committees.

As APHIS does this, an unprecedented effort is taking place across the U.S. pork industry with industry associations and chain partners at retail and foodservices to understand its customers' concerns and provide them with the scientific information to address those concerns.