Swine influenza (SI): VLA's role

The VLA is an international reference laboratory for animal influenza for the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), and has 35 years of experience on animal influenza viruses. VLA has various international and international programmes on the diagnosis, research and surveillance of influenza in pig populations.

We also have a close working relationship with the Health Protection Agency (HPA) on viruses that can infect animals and people and we have been providing information and reagents to HPA to support their response to the human pandemic.

Professor Ian Brown, UK Disease Expert on Swine Influenza and Head of the OIE International Reference Laboratory

"Although this novel H1N1 influenza virus has been termed 'swine influenza', the definitive scientific evidence base to support the origin of the virus in pig populations has not yet been confirmed."

Professor Peter Borriello, Chief Executive, VLA

"The current pandemic threat shows yet again how suddenly new germs can emerge and rapidly spread, and the importance of continued research and intelligence gathering, and the links between the VLA and HPA, in ensuring we are best prepared to meet these threats."

Publications

VLA has published preliminary results on pig infection studies with the pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus associated with global epidemic in humans:

Several information sheets have also been published. See below:

For further information on related work/services at the VLA, see the following pages: