Site Pigtrop

University of Ibadan, Nigeria

Abstract - A survey of haemagglutination inhibition (HI) antibodies against influenza A virus was carried out on pigs sera collected at Bodija abattoir, Ibadan between December, 2001 and August 2002. Out of the 107 sera tested, 101 (94.39%) had HI antibodies to influenza A (H1N1) human strain while the remaining 6 (5.61%) were negative. The result of this work indicates that H1N1 influenza viruses are currently circulating among the pigs slaughtered in Bodija abattoir. The public health implications in terms of possible transmission contact with the pigs are discussed. The result of the HA titres obtained with turkey red blood cells (RBC) compared to that of guinea pig RBC indicated that the H1N1 stains of influenza A viruses have greater avidity for turkey RBC than those of guinea pigs. This is equally of diagnostic importance.