HANOI, Feb. 6 (Xinhuanet) -- Trace of H5N1 has been detected in several pigs in Vietnam, said the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on Friday.

    "Nasal swabs taken from pigs have been positive for H5N1. But, it does not mean that the pigs are infected with the virus," Anton Rychener, head of the FAO in Vietnam, told Xinhua.

    Testing of blood samples is underway, he said. However, Vietnam' s Central Veterinarian Department has yet to react to FAO's statement.

    Earlier, many local experts warned that H5N1 could jump from infected chickens to other animals like pigs before passing to humans. Enditem