Friday, December 18, 2009

Remove the Animal From the Flu

Did you Just Sneeze?

We have heard in the media over again about how the swine flu has spread through the world. Because of this consumers have moved away from pork products for the wrong reasons. Let's face it, from a virus standpoint there has to be enough human genetic code in the virus to infect a human. Since most human flu we see is multi-species (avian/human/swine) lets just use the classification of H&N (e.g. H1N1) to describe this and give the animal producers a chance. Since this is NOT a food borne issue we should be able to enjoy fully cooked pork and pork products without scare.

To protect ourselves from human transmission, be sure to use good hygiene and cough control, especially as we head into the holiday season. Wash your hands including the backs of your hands with warm water and soap. Rub your hands with soap for at least 20-30 seconds before rinsing. Cough or sneeze into a disposable tissue or elbow if you must to keep your hands from being contaminated.

Lastly, stay home if you are sick. I was sick for two days and stayed home until fever was normal for 24 hours. By doing so, I was able to recover quickly and without lasting effects.