An Alberta farmer whose pig herd was quarantined after Type A H1N1 virus was detected, has been forced to cull his entire herd.
A Difficult Decision
Arnold Van Ginkel, whose farm is near Rocky Mountain House, made the difficult decision after already having culled some 500 animals. The remaining hogs couldn’t be marketed as they were still under quarantine, and overcrowding was becoming a serious issue.
Approximately 3,000 remaining animals were culled, with federal and provincial animal health experts on hand. At the time the virus was still present in the herd, but had not spread to neighbouring herds.
Virus Connection
It’s thought that a farm worker brought the virus back with him in April following a trip to Mexico. However, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has yet to conclusively determine the cause of the herd infection.
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