On October 29th, the USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratories confirmed that one pig on a backyard farm in Oregon tested positive for bird flu. The pig was one of five pigs that shared housing, water, and equipment with chickens that were positive for the virus a week earlier. The small farm is not commercial, and this case posed no risk to the country’s food supply, and risk to the public remains low.

This marks the first reported case of an H5 bird flu infection in a pig in the United States. The farm is currently quarantined and additional animals on the farm are being monitored, including sheep and goats.

The five pigs exposed to bird flu were euthanized for further testing, one pig was positive, two were negative, and two are awaiting results.

Pigs can get more than one flu virus at the same time, raising concerns that a virus that is able to infect humans and the bird flu virus could both infect a pig simultaneously and combine to become more transferrable to people. A single case of a pig on a non-commercial farm is not enough to raise significant concerns or raise the public risk level.

In other countries in the past, a different strain of bird flu has jumped onto pigs without being transmitted to people.

We are still waiting for test results from two of the pigs, as well as a more thorough diagnostic examination.

Public Health officials continue to monitor bird flu in poultry and dairy farms, in addition to testing other animals that were exposed.