Facts about the H1N1 virus epidemic

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There is no risk that the new H1N1 virus should cause infections from pork and pork products.

There is no risk that the new H1N1 virus should be transmitted to humans from pork and pork products.
In the US, investigations by the authorities show that infected people have not been in contact with pigs.
The new virus is an influenza type A H1N1 with genetic material from virus found in pigs, birds and humans. Mutations of this type of virus emerge currently.
Infection with the new type of H1N1 spreads by person to person contact.
The Danish National Board of Health informs that known cases in humans, primarily in North America, are very mild.
The genetic characteristics of the virus remind of those of swine influenza, but to date no one has been able to prove that the virus originates from pigs. Consequently, the virus should probably not be called swine flu, says Kristian Møller, Institute Director of the National Veterinary Institute at the Technical University of Denmark.
To the knowledge of DMA, the new type of H1N1 has not been found in any pig herd in any part of the world.
General precautions against flu should be observed, i.e. avoid sneezing on other people, wash hands frequently and thoroughly, and consult a doctor if influenza is suspected.
In Denmark, the National Board of Health is responsible for having precautions in place against influenza, including the new strain of influenza virus.

”Swine influenza” - a misleading name
The new type of influenza is often called ”swine flu” in the media and elsewhere. However, the name is misleading since it is a new type of influenza that is transmitted by person to person contact.

The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration (DVFA) writes as follows on its homepage:
”Swine influenza is a misleading name since it is a human type of influenza – which means that the virus is transmitted by person to person contact”.

The DVFA also writes:
”The special type A influenza that has induced disease in humans in Mexico had elements from swine, avian and human influenza in its original form. It is the genes from the swine elements that have given name to the misleading term “swine flu”. It is important to underline that people that have fallen ill have been infected by other humans. It has not been demonstrated that the infection should have been transmitted from pigs to humans in the present situation”.

The Veterinary Institute of the Technical University of Denmark writes in a note:
”Based on the information that is available at present, there is no indication that the new H1N1 virus has been found in pigs in Mexico, North America or in Denmark. It is also uncertain if pigs can be infected by the new virus. Against this background, the name ”swine flu” is misleading, and the reason for the term is probably that the genes that code the important surface proteins (HA and NA) have greatest similarity to the genes that are demonstrated in swine influenza virus.

OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health) writes in a press release:
“The virus has not been isolated in animals to date. Therefore, it is not justified to name this disease swine influenza. In the past, many human influenza epidemics with animal origin have been named using their geographic name, eg Spanish influenza or Asiatic influenza, thus it would be logical to call this disease “North-American influenza”.”

Additional information is available from:

WHO (World Health Organisation) Q&A: http://www.who.int/csr/swine_flu/swine_flu_faq_26april.pdf

CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is a part of the American Ministry of Health) Q&A: http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/swineflu_you.htm

ECDC (European Centre For Disease Prevention And Control) Q&A: http://ecdc.europa.eu/en/files/pdf/Health_topics/090425_FAQ_swine_influenza.pdf

Updated information about the disease can be found on the homepage of the Danish National Board of Health: www.sst.dk

This fact sheet will be updated if new information should emerge.