KINGSTON, April 27 (Reuters) - Jamaica may if necessary ban the import of pork and live swine from the United States and Canada to prevent the deadly new swine flu from entering the Caribbean island, an official said on Monday. "There is no ban yet but we are monitoring the situation," said Dr. Osbil Watson, director of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries' veterinary services division. Such a ban would apply to live swine, semen, pork and pork products from both nations, he said. The new flu virus, which has components of classic avian, human and swine flu viruses, has not actually been seen in pigs. But it has killed up to 149 people in Mexico and spread to the United States, Canada and Europe, raising fears of a pandemic. "It should be noted that while illnesses and deaths have been reported in humans in those countries, there have been no confirmed reports of the infection in pigs," Watson said. He said the Jamaican veterinary services division had heightened its field and laboratory monitoring for several swine diseases and that none had been detected so far. He urged veterinarians, pig farmers and animal health technicians to increase their vigilance and to immediately notify the division of any unexplained illnesses in swine. (Reporting by Horace Helps, editing by Jane Sutton amd Jim Marshall)
People wear surgical masks as they ride an escalator at a subway station in Mexico City April 27, 2009. An outbreak of swine flu has killed up to 149 people in ...
