Washington – U.S. officials said they may abandon the term swine flu, for fear it’s confusing people into thinking they could catch it from pork — which is flat-out wrong.
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“We’re discussing, is there a better way to describe this that would not lead to inappropriate actions on people’s part?” said Dr. Richard Besser, acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “In the public, we’ve been seeing a fair amount of misconception … and that’s not helpful.”
CDC scientists discovered the never-before-seen strain of influenza, a mix of pig, human and bird viruses — and while scientifically it’s part of the Type A/H1N1 family of influenza, they shortened the name to new swine flu.
Immediately, U.S. officials rushed to assure people that it’s impossible to get pig strains of influenza from food. But by last weekend, China, Russia and Ukraine were banning imports of pork from Mexico and certain U.S. states, and other governments were increasing screening of pork imports.
Then came name complaints from abroad. Israeli officials on Monday suggested renaming it Mexican flu, saying the reference to pigs is offensive to Muslim and Jewish sensitivities over pork, (as was reported here on VIN News). While the biggest outbreak and most serious illness so far is in Mexico, scientists don’t yet have proof that’s where the new virus originated.
Naming flu, in fact, has a problematic history. The infamous 1918 pandemic was first called the Spanish flu, although scientists today all agree it didn’t start there. It may have started in Kansas.
What to call the novel swine flu now? CDC’s Besser told reporters that the government hasn’t decided yet on a change. But a Department of Homeland Security notice suggested the boring scientific route: “The current influenza situation should be referred to as H1N1 Flu Outbreak.”
But a change would be hard, not just because “new swine flu” has entered the public lexicon. Even official health-advice Web addresses use it.
Still, at the Agriculture Department, Secretary Tom Vilsack pushed a change, saying the American hog industry is sound; there are no known sick U.S. pigs.
“We have no indication that any swine from the United States has been infected,” Vilsack said. “We are open for business. We believe that there is no reason to stop or ban pork or pork products from the United States.”
Added U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk: “We want to make sure that a handful of our trading partners don’t take advantage of this legitimate concern over public health and engage in behavior that could also damage the world’s economy.”
im sure PETA was upset with that name!
Porcine flu. New flu. 2009 flu. Those are my votes. So if you cant eat pork, you cant say the word? WHere is that written?
How about the Mexican pig disease instead of swine which is a derogetory name for pigs.
In E.Israel it’s called the Mexican Flu
I gues Litzman will look like a smart man now 🙂 (although personally, I think what he said was amazingly stupid and the chilonim in Israel are having a field day with it).
They got the idea from MK Yakov Litzman!!
Of course a liberal gov has to switch the name since the pigs might get offended just like we have to change from war on terror because the religion of peace might get offended
maybe we should change the name chicken pox to some other name too?
Now if the virus is a composite of several viruses, the ONLY way this could be accomplished is if it were done by PEOPLE in a lab environment! Especially since NO PIGS have been found to have the virus!! Could this be a dry run for, G-d forbid, some kind of genetically-engineered disease to keep the people offguard about the economy?!
The experts are not even sure that the people in Mexico City have had the same virus as in the US!! Good gracious……..a health version of 9/11??!!
well Yakov Litzman the health minister in Israel called it the Mexican flue becouse ‘chazeirim’ is not ‘loshon nekiya’ and its the joke of town besides the point that the Mexican gov. Is angry at him for blaiming it all at them
i would’nt call it mexican flu. why nationalize a disease that could have started any where. give it some simplistic medical name , so that upon a refuah one could refer to it to get the shot.
Great idea! Forget vaccinations! Who the hell needs that? No, what we need is another name for the chazir flu. Yeah, and let’s spend lots time and money until we can solve this most difficult problem.
I have a serious shailoh if its called swine flu & a small amount of the virus is used as an antiviral medication is that considered eating pork or not & is it mutar bhanoah or can only goyim get the shot?
To #15 : Who said anything about forgetting vaccinations or wasting time and money to decide on the new name? All he said is it deserves consideration. He’s right. What we call things affects how we think, and it’s a fact that in the world of medicine provocotive terms are sometimes deliberately chosen. Not that I particularly agree with this sensitivity over the word “swine”, but neither do I agree with the hysterical over-reaction of people like you, hungrily waiting for the new chareidi deputy minister to do something wrong.
Wat about mad cow disease. y ain’t dat b changed? wen one looses ones voice is’t called the horse flu?
I should email you about it.