A pig raised in Beijing's suburb (Photo: AFP/VNA)

“We will read carefully the paper to understand what is new,” Lindmeier told a Geneva briefing, saying it is important to collaborate on findings and keep tabs on animal populations. “We cannot let our guard down on influenza and need to be vigilant and continue surveillance even during the coronavirus pandemic,” he said.

A team of Chinese researchers looked at influenza viruses found in pigs from 2011 to 2018 and found a “G4” strain of H1N1 that has “all the essential hallmarks of a candidate pandemic virus”, according to research published on Monday by the US journal “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences”. The study highlights the risks of viruses crossing the species barrier into humans. There’s no evidence that G4 is circulating in humans, but if it is, G4 will adapt quickly and the risk of a new pandemic is high.