Health and agricultural officials agree, pigs have much more to fear from people humans than the other way around. Pigs, it turns out, can contract the virus from infected humans.
“We’re trying to minimize human traffic into our hog operation so our hogs do not get the disease from humans, which is probably a little bit of a twist from what most people have heard about,” said Elwyn Fitzke, a pork producer in Glenvil, Neb.
“This is a very big concern for us,” he added.
The National Pork Board sent an advisory counseling pork producers to implement what it called “biosecurity practices” — not to protect visitors, but to protect pigs.
Among the recommendations: Ban or limit outside visitors, double-check facilities’ ventilation and vaccinate all workers against seasonal flu viruses, so they don’t get sick and potentially weaken the pigs’ immune systems.
Let’s keep our priorities straight.
Ooooh… what a cutie wootie poogie piggie wiggie… I coo weat you aw-wup…
Slow-roasted with a lot of garlic.
Many hog farms in the US are so scared of human based infections that they are basically automated, with the ‘farmer’ only entering the controlled spaces where the hogs live when completely necessary… and no outside visitors allowed. And it has been this way for many many years.
Pigs are the most common “human-equivalent” species on which drugs are tested, and many common medical items such as replacement skin and even heart valves are based on pig grown tissues.
The hog farms are so ‘sanitary’ that they are very sensitive to infections, since the hogs have never been exposed to any pathogens, and have built up no immunities. Hence the need for lots of antibiotics. Ironically, if the hogs were more exposed to the ‘real’ world there would be less of a chance that human viruses could take hold in their bodies and mix genetic code.
A common human cold can wipe out an entire hog farm, hence the precautions taken by the industrial farmers. In the USA the image of hogs wallowing in mud at the farm are as unreal as that of chickens laying eggs in a coop.
H1N1 is based on a human giving the virus to the pig, where it transmutes and then returns it to the human in the hybridized form.
At least 1/5th of the world’s population (Muslims and Jews) think that pigs are unclean and won’t eat and pork products. And vegetarians won’t eat any kind of meat at all.
So why are there so many pig farms?
Why do pigs even exist in Muslim countries?
Why does Egypt (which has a significant Muslim population) allow pig farming?
Re #3 Realty Check… “Pigs are the most common “human-equivalent” species…”
Well d-uh.
Re: Chuck #4…”Why do pigs even exist in Muslim countries?”
? … Damn that reincarnation!
baaaaacon
:X
Alternate reality, pig farms are over crowded plague pits where vast populations of genetically similar animals are reared on a diet of antibiotics and steroids, irradiated processed high protein meal and without access to external environmental conditions that are conducive to a healthy immune system. Yes, a sneeze can kill them all, because it’s economically advantageous to keep them this way. I eat bacon, free range bacon bought at my local supermarket, because there are no residual animal medications in the meat of free range animals. Sorry for the long post.
Irradiated food ain’t a problem for anyone. It’s what kind of food you irradiate that might count. It only affects shelf life.
Yes, DVUC, keep our priorities straight!
After all, when pigs are extinct, what’s going to feed us?
Ohhhh, I’d like a second helping of soylent green, but it goes straight to my hips!
this little piggy went to icu, this little piggy went to it’s grave………
When you are downwind from a modern hog farm, “sanitary” is not a word that comes readily to mind.
Why does Egypt (which has a significant Muslim population) allow pig farming?
Copic Christians…
Tourist
“Let’s keep our priorities straight.”
The hog farmers are keeping their priorities straight; making money. Those that don’t go broke.
Muslims are free to make money rasing and selling swine to those that want them. Muslims aren’t supposed to eat them. They have used the skin for leather and the bones for various purposes including making a very durable form of plaster.
#13 – Ron: Christianity is one of three official religions in Egypt the others being Islam and Judaism. The pork isn’t for tourists. A couple of the five star hotels might have it from time to time but not usually. Beef bacon, yes. Turkey ham, yes. Only places that have two separate kitchens will serve pork as Muslims don’t want it to share their pots and pans. I used to live in a suburb of Cairo called Maadi. To the best of my knowledge, we had only one pork butcher and his meat came from Germany.
In Kabul, they have the remnants of a pre-Taliban zoo. When you walk in the front gate you are treated to their prize specimens. First you’ll see an enclosure with three lions in it. Directly opposite, a pit with four pigs. Exotic creatures, indeed!
Looks like it’s already happened in Canada.