Zoonoses (“Swine Flu”)

New Scientist, 2 May, 2009
Extract from Bill Mollison’s upcoming book on Pigs “Cherchez Le Porc”

At present (May 2009) swine flu is killing Mexicans, and spreading rapidly via air travel, as yet, it is not totally lethal, but it could become so.

Those who dealt with animals could see the threat developing, local medical researchers were unaware. On April 2 in the town of La Gloria, west of Mexico City a respiratory disease killed 3 young children. By 6 April, the flu was spreading through Mexico as in Easter week, people travel to visit relatives. Near La Gloria is Perote where a giant hog farm owned by hog giant Smithfield Foods of the USA, provides 1,000,000 pigs per year!

The company routinely administers an influenza vaccine to the herd. This keeps the hogs from getting sick, but does not prevent them from spreading virus particles. Very recently, that virus has stopped being well behaved.

I could not image a more dangerous situation then 1,000,000 hogs carrying a flu resistant to vaccines, and incubating a global surprise for society. This could be the revenge of the pigs for generations of mistreatment. It is certainly a dangerous situation which should be closed down quickly.