CDC: H1N1 Recommendations for Swine Farm Workers

November 4, 2009 — 

The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has posted recommendations to minimize the risk of H1N1 virus transmission from people to pigs and pigs to people.

The recommendations, targeting people who work in commercial swine production, include:

• Hand washing
• Cover mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing
• Vaccination of pigs and people
• Use of personal protective equipment
  • Protective coveralls
  • Boots
  • Disposable gloves
  • Safety goggles
  • Properly fitted NIOSH-certified respirators (N-95, P-100 or N-100)
• Enforce biosecurity measures
• Shower-in/Shower-out
• Instruct workers to watch out for influenza-like symptoms and to stay away from pigs if ill for 7 days after the onset of symptoms or 24 hours after recovery

Certain groups are at increased risk of becoming severely ill with influenza. These groups include children younger than 5 years (but especially children younger than 2 years), persons 65 years and older, and pregnant women. Also included are persons of any age who have certain medical conditions such as chronic pulmonary disease, including asthma, or cardiovascular, hepatic, hematologic, neurologic, or metabolic disorders, such as diabetes, and persons who are immunosuppressed (including those immunosuppressed because of medications or HIV).

Additional information is available on the CDC website at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidelines_commerical_settings_with_pigs.htm