Pork Panic: Is It H1N1 or Swine Flu?

What do the H1N1 flu, pork, and Swine flu have in common? Not much according to the CDC and the struggling Pork Industry.

The industry have been facing the back lash of the public and the media inappropriately labeling the H1N1 Flu outbreak as "Swine Flu."

It all apparently started in a small town in Mexico when a person contracted a virus from a pig, and then this virus mutated and began to spread from person to person, or so we were told by the media. But, is this how it really happened?

Now that extensive genetic testing has been performed on the virus, it has been shown to have human, bird, and pig genetic markers, so it is unclear exactly how it was first transmitted. But, if it was from swine, it was from a living pig, and not by eating cooked pork.

You may recall the panic of those first couple of weeks, and the countries that placed a ban on pork products being imported, in their ill-informed hopes of preventing the spread of the virus to their corner of the globe. This had the domino effect, and the pork industry has suffered major losses of hundreds of millions of dollars so far. This could be in the billions of dollars range if the perception isn't changed.

H1N1 is not spread by eating pork products. Lean pork is a healthy protein option for those dieting, and for non-dieters as well. Besides, chances are you will catch H1N1 from your dinner quests, not what's on your dinner plate!

You can read the official World Organization for Animal Health statement if you want to find out more information.