First case of H1N1 flu confirmed in U.S. hog (4 teenagers sick)

[denem]

Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. hog has tested positive for the pandemic H1N1 flu virus for the first time ever, the Agriculture Department confirmed on Monday.

USDA said the virus was found in a hog exhibited at the Minnesota State Fair where four teenagers became sick.

The discovery does not suggest infection of commercial pig herds raised for slaughter, USDA said. So far, it said, preliminary positives have been found in three hogs with tests confirming pandemic H1N1 on one of them.

Health officials say the virus, originally known as swine flu, is not linked to meat products.

"People cannot get this flu from eating pork or pork products. Pork is safe to eat," Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a statement.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE59F4X020091019

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In the UK, I vividly remember "People cannot get 'Mad Cow Disease' from eating beef or bovine products. British beef is completely safe". A minister fed a hamburger to his eight year old daughter on TV to prove the point.

Not comparable I know, but "People cannot get ... safe to eat" still gives the chills. To this day I am not allowed to donate blood.

[Robb]

1. No! Not the Lord's Meat!!

I'm voting for panic. Or at least gazing fondly at bacon.

[jus_the_facts]

2. LOL ....gaze at that divine swine!

:hi:

[kestrel91316]

3. Risk to the pigs is one main reason why swine operations don't allow much

in the way of visitors. I suspect there might be more diseases we can give to them than they can give to us.

[Mojorabbit]

5. This has happened in other countries

in the past six months. It was a matter of time before it happened here.

[stray cat]

7. Actually pigs don't get too ill from it and its not spread in the meat from them

[Warpy]

4. They're assuming you're not eating the lungs

and if you are, you're cooking them whole and cooking them well.

I don't know how many people who grind up fresh pig lungs and eat them raw, do you?

Cooking will destroy any virus in the meat.

Cooking has no effect on prions. You can burn them to ashes and they're still infectious.

Viruses and prions are completely different things.

[Delphinus]

11. O.M.G.!

People eat the lungs?? Seriously??

[Warpy]

12. Yep, some sausage contains them

along with the snout and a lot of things you really don't want to know about.

You can find them in some hard core ethnic markets in cities.

Poor people all over the world eat every single bit except the contents of the intestines.

[stray cat]

6. So far you are safer kissing a hog than a person

[MercutioATC]

8. Don't be so sure...

[Generator]

9. Am I missing something?

What were they doing with those hogs to get sick?

[MrsMatt]

10. what the heck do you mean by that?

They were probably just walking through the barn - all it takes is a cough or sneeze to spread all sorts of disease.

[Nihil]

13. Next up ...

In response to industry pressure, the US Department of Agriculture have
banned testing pigs for the H1N1 flu virus.

:P