'Swine Flu' Wreaks Havoc on Pork Industry, Despite Lack of Swine Connection

Swine flu cases are turning up in a growing number of countries. The disease has killed more than a hundred in Mexico, screwed with the stock market and sent Smithfield shares tumbling.

But there’s one group that so far doesn’t seem all that affected by the pandemic — swine. The first known case in the outbreak occurred near a Mexican pig farm (partially owned by Smithfield) but neither the pigs nor the employees have shown any sign of being sick.

So if no pigs are sick, why are we calling it “swine flu”? The strain is, according to Wired, a “novel combination” of two flu strains previously found in swine. But not everyone thinks that justifies the common name. Government officials in Thailand are calling it “Mexican flu” and the World Organization for Animal Health has recommended the term “North American influenza.”

Pork producers would certainly prefer any term that doesn’t scare people away from their product, and the American Meat Industry is urging media to switch terms. (I do see their point, but on the other hand, media organizations know that not many people are doing Google searches for “North American flu.”)

The National Pork Board is trying frantically to protect its industry and assure consumers that the virus is not spread through eating pork. But if history is any indication, facts don’t play much of a role once consumer panic sets in.

And Twitter could be making it even worse, according to a post at Foreign Policy (h/t Slashdot). “In the context of a global pandemic — where media networks are doing their best to spice up an already serious threat — having millions of people wrap up all their fears into 140 characters and blurt them out in the public might have some dangerous consequences, networked panic being one of them.”

Russia, China and other countries have banned meat and pork products from the U.S. and Mexico. But on the bright side, the EU said it has no intentions to do the same.

And in news that gives hope for the future, apparently people are eating peanut butter again.