According to NJ.com, a nine-year-old child caught swine
flu from an actual pig last year.
The CDC reviews thousands of flu cases annually, but the
case of this child in Mercer County, New Jersey, sat buried in a pile. The
child visited a Middlesex County farm on December 24 and fell ill December on 26.
This was the first case of H3N2v flu in the state. The child
was seen and treated by a doctor although the illness was mild and did not
require hospitalization. “The patient visited a farm near where swine are
frequently housed but no direct contact with swine was reported in the week
prior to illness onset,” the CDC reports.
Swine flu, which made headlines after an outbreak in 2009, is
caused by a virus that moves easily from pigs to humans. Once a human is
infected, human-to-human transmission is possible.
Pigs on factory farms are kept closely together in small filthy crates. Hygiene and
proper veterinary care are virtually nonexistent. The unsanitary conditions are
the ideal setting for development and spread of disease.
Luckily, we can safeguard our health while protecting animals
by leaving meat, eggs, and dairy off the menu.
Click here to order your FREE Vegetarian
Starter Guide.