I have been reading and talking to a lot of people lately about the misinformation about the H1N1 outbreak. The swine flu (yes, that is what it is) had it’s name changed because the hog farmers felt it showed them in a bad light and their profits might suffer from people not wanting to buy their products. http://nationalhogfarmer.com/swine-flu/0430-swine-changes-to-H1N1/
While talking to my friends and acquaintances I was amazed that not a single person knew the source of the flu (or any flu). Flu 101: In short, the Flu comes from the close proximity of species like birds and pork. Basically, poultry that is raised too close to pigs is how flu’s propagate. The birds infect the pigs and the pigs infect people. You can read all about it at the National Institute of Health: http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/Flu/understandingFlu/definitionsOverview.htm
This latest outbreak of swine flu was advertised that it started in Mexico and that we have nothing to worry about because something like that could not happen in the USA. It’s funny how every news agency jumped on the bandwagon to point the finger at a country that could not defend itself. This strain may not have started in Mexico, but more than likely actually in North Carolina. http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-25-swine-flu-smithfield/
Don’t let people use propaganda to try to convince you that it’s not the fault of the farmers. It’s amazing that on the hog farmers web site they claim there is no link between pork and the flu when even the CDC and NIH sites have proven the link. For many centuries the world had no flu. The flu 1st appeared in 1918
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1918_flu_pandemic
when farmers started mixing their chickens and pigs in same area. This may have been the result of military practices during WW1. This practice continues today and until world procedures change we will always have swine flu.
Will I stop eating port? Heck no! I love my BBQ. But, I recommend that people educate themselves and NOT repeat the propaganda they hear on TV or from the lobbyists.