EU battling 'novel flu' not swine flu

(BRUSSELS) - The European Commission said Wednesday it would call the deadly swine flu the "novel flu virus" to minimise damage to the farm industry.

"I would suggest that you call it 'novel flu virus' just to avoid the misunderstandings with the animal diseases because it costs a lot to the industry," said EU Commission spokeswoman Nina Papadoulaki.

"In this case we have human-to-human transmission so it is a human virus not an animal disease."

The need to avoid damage to the pig industry was important during the economic crisis, she added, stressing that there was nothing to link the virus to the consumption of pork.

Asked whether the World Health Organisation (WHO) was making a similar change, she replied that she had "no information at this point". The WHO website still uses the term "swine flu".

"There is no need to agree on the name of a new virus," the commission spokeswoman said.

"We consider it is better to use the term novel flu virus in order to avoid any misunderstanding and other problems relating to trade and the situation of other parties and stakeholders in the European Union. It was just meant to clarify the situation."

As the virus is not caught through food consumption, the commission has said there are no plans to ban pork imports.

"There's no reason to block pork imports because it's not an animal disease. That would be unjustified," Papadoulaki said Tuesday.

Several nations, notably in Asia, have stopped imports of pork from Mexico, where the flu outbreak started, and some other countries in the Americas which have also been hit.