Northern Ireland: Human flu confirmed in a pig
14th April 2025
A case of human flu in a pig has been confirmed in Northern Ireland.
According to the Mirror, the first-ever UK case of ‘reverse zoonosis’ was found on a pig farm in Northern Ireland.
The finding was buried within government surveillance documents, the media outlet reported.
Farmers Guide has reached out to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs of Northern Ireland to confirm the news.
Our team was asked to contact the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) for further information.
‘This detection is not unexpected’
A spokesperson for AFBI said that the detection of swine influenza in pigs is not unusual.
They explained: “These viruses circulate dynamically between pigs but also have both a zoonotic (animals to humans) and a reverse zoonotic (humans to animals) element to their epidemiology.
“Certainly, this detection is not unexpected but underlines the importance of undertaking surveillance and genetic characterisation of swine influenza viruses in pigs.
“Furthermore, linking through One Health channels is necessary to understand where viruses are circulating in the human population that are either partially, or of complete, swine origin from a genetic perspective.
“Both the Agri-Food & Bioscience Institute (AFBI) in Northern Ireland and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) in Great Britain undertake horizon scanning surveillance for swine influenza and link closely with public health bodies where detections are of relevance across disciplines.”
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