The detection of the H1N1 flu in turkeys in Chile raises concerns about the spread of the virus in other poultry farms, but poses no immediate threat to human health, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization said.

Chilean authorities reported on August 20 that an H1N1 strain identical to the one currently circulating among humans worldwide was present in turkeys in two farms near the seaport of Valparaiso, the Rome-based UN agency said.

However, the discovery does not pose any immediate threat to human health, and turkey meat can still be sold commercially following veterinary inspection and hygienic processing, the agency said.

"The reaction of the Chilean authorities to the discovery of H1N1 in turkeys – namely prompt reporting to international organizations, establishing a temporary quarantine, and the decision to allow infected birds to recover rather than culling them – is scientifically sound," FAO interim Chief Veterinary Officer Juan Lubroth said in a news release.

"Once the sick birds have recovered, safe production and processing can continue. They do not pose a threat to the food chain," he said.

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