A whole lot of Bacon

Something ominous is happening in China.

Over the past few months, a million or more pigs have died mysteriously in China. Right now, we are getting precious little information about all of this. And it is worrisome.

Swine are biologically very similar to humans. They are well known for their ability to carry the flu virus, and indeed, are considered the ideal mixing vessel for various flu strains. Take a pig with H3N2 (seasonal Flu), expose it to H5N1 (avian flu), and there’s a good chance it will produce a new, virulent combination. Or at least that’s the theory.

Pig farmers are being urged to erect netting over pig pens, to keep possibly infected birds away from pigs. Of course, this won’t stop infected bird droppings from getting thru, but it shows a high level of concern.

The Chinese government is being very closed mouthed about all of this. Not that transparency has ever been their strong suit. So these reports bear watching.

There are, of course, many diseases that can affect pigs. Flu is just one of them. But we’ve seen that H5N1 can infect mammals, including dogs, cats, and martens. Some pigs in Indonesia have also tested positive for H5N1.

If this is indeed an infection of avian flu in the porcine population of China, this would have serious ramifications.

For now, all we can do is wait and see.

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