-----Original Message-----
From:
Thomas.J.Myers@aphis.usda.gov [mailto:Thomas.J.Myers@aphis.usda.gov]
Sent: Sunday, April 26, 2009
6:08 PM
Subject: URGENT - Swine
influenza reporting
Dear State Veterinarians and
AVIC's:
Due to today's public health
emergency preparedness declaration by DHS, I
request that all State
Veterinarians and AVICs report any cases of Swine
Influenza identified in
their state now and in the coming days to their
Veterinary Services Regional
Office as promptly as possible. Please
respond with information on
any past or ongoing cases in your states by
close of business on Monday,
April 27. This should include any cases
reported to date that may be
associated with human influenza-like illness
or the current H1N1 virus
reported in people in several states.
On April 23, VS provided
information to laboratories with regard to
immediate implementation of
the Swine Influenza Virus (SIV) pilot project.
We are asking laboratories
to send to NVSL any SIV isolates that are
difficult to subtype with
current reagents or known to be associated with
human illness. Originally, we had planned to begin with
eleven
laboratories but are now
extending to all laboratories. We will
be having
a call with the laboratories
on Monday to discuss further. Below is
further information on the
SIV pilot project:
In July 2008, VS began developing a pilot swine
influenza virus (SIV)
surveillance program in
cooperation with the CDC and other stakeholders.
The pilot SIV surveillance
program’s overall objectives are to benefit both
animal and human health by
rapidly detecting SIV genomic changes; providing
SIV diagnostic,
epidemiologic, and experimental data for the development of
improved diagnostic
reagents, vaccines and biosecurity practices for swine;
and to collaborate with CDC
to identify SIV viruses that may pose a threat
to human health and that
could be used to develop improved diagnostic
reagents, vaccines and other
disease control measures.
The SIV cases identified
through this pilot will meet any one of the
following three
criteria: atypical case presentations in
swine; untypeable
or novel SIV isolates; and
suspected concurrent SIV infection in humans and
swine, particularly
involving public swine exhibitions (e.g. fairs, shows).
The project requires a
coordinated effort among Veterinary Services; the
States and their diagnostic
laboratories; USDA-ARS-NADC; the National Pork
Board; the American
Association of Swine Veterinarians; the CDC; and other
stakeholders.
VS staff will be contacting
you soon with additional information on this
project.
Thank you,
John Clifford
***************************************************************
Dr. T.J. Myers, Deputy
Director for Science and Technology
National Animal Health
Policy and Programs
USDA, APHIS, Veterinary
Services
Desk: 301-734-7677
Cell: 240-506-3865