Beware! Swine Flu!

First the chickens and now the pigs!



Swine flu also known as the Influenza H1N1 virus has been spreading nationwide. It started from Mexico, where the pigs have been infected. Mexican health secretary Jose Angel Cordova said there were 1614 suspected cases of people infected with the deadly strain, which has spread to seven other countries and caused the US to declare a health emergency. Most of the cases in Mexico have been in young healthy adults, who are not normally seriously affected by influenza, the World Health Organisation said.

However, Dr Kok Tuck Weng, a virologist affiliated to the University of South Australia and the University of Adelaide, said it was not possible to predict if swine flu would have the same fatality levels as SARS - which killed one in 10 people who were infected.

Professor Greg Tannock, an expert in virology at RMIT University, said swine flu's origins and its speed of infection were of concern.

"This has occurred in several different locations in North America and it may become a prevalent pandemic virus in years to come. Unlike bird flu ... this transmits much more rapidly.

"The other thing about the current swine flu is that it appears to be a mutational event. So it's become humanised and you don't need swine to transmit the virus, as you do with bird flu.

He said if swine flu turned out to be a pandemic, people would have little to no immunity from it.

Australian Pork Ltd said people should not have any fears about eating pork products in Australia.

"Swine fever from which this disease is from is not a known disease in Australia. So there is no risk of people catching it from Australian pigs," Emily Mackintosh, general manager of communications at Australian Pork Ltd, said.

So for my Australian buds out there, it's safe to consume pork as long as it's a local product but as a precaution, try to eat less of it.

As for Singaporean khakis, always check the label for the origin of the product. Try to be as cautious as possible. Always ask about the origin of the pork before purchasing.

Prevention Methods

1. Avoid eating pork as you can see that its the cause of it.
2. Always wash your hands after being exposed from public/crowded areas.
3. If someone is sneezing or having a inluenza-like illness, try to keep a distance away from them.