The first case of pigs infected with swine flu, the type-A form of the H1N1 virus, has been confirmed in Korea. But experts say even eating pork from infected animals is safe so long as it is properly cooked.

The Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries on Monday said pigs raised at five farms in the country and six breeding pigs imported from Canada late last month were infected with the H1N1 virus, and the movement of pigs in the areas has been restricted.

The five farms are one in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, and two each in Gimcheon and Gunwi, both in North Gyeongsang Province, the ministry said. Some 3,600 pigs are being raised there.

A ministry official said it is unclear how they became infected but presumably the virus was transmitted by humans. The current H1N1 flu pandemic is popularly known as swine flu although according to the WHO it is different strains of the same virus that infect humans or pigs.

The ministry decided not to cull the infected pigs. "Pigs infected with H1N1 virus normally recover about seven days after showing slight symptoms including fever," an official said. "We don't need to cull them since there have been no reports of transmission from pigs to humans."

Park Bong-kyun, a professor of veterinary medicine at Seoul National University, confirmed that is the current scientific belief "to the best of our knowledge."