The director of the Ministry of Livestock Development, Dr. Sanjika Perera, revealed yesterday (27) that a stock of frozen meat products, including sausages, stored in a cold store in Wattala Welisara, contained the swine flu virus.
The meat, totaling 3,239 kilograms, had been imported from China to be released in the Sri Lankan market during the festive season without the approval of the Health Department.
The specific breakdown of the meat stock with the swine flu virus is as follows:
– 2,560 kg of frozen fresh duck meat
– 171 kg of chicken meat
– 56 kg of Taiwanese grill sausages
– 132 kg of duck heads
– 12 kg of pork
– 20 kg of chicken wings
– 288 kg of sweet corn roll sausages
It was reported that the meat had been stored in the Welisara warehouse.
The Department of Animal Production and Health conducted the investigation, confirming the presence of the swine flu virus in the meat products.
Swine flu, also known as H1N1 influenza, is a respiratory disease caused by influenza A viruses that regularly cause outbreaks in pigs. While it is not typically transmitted directly to humans, it can spread among farm animals.
