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The Swine Flu outbreak has definitely affected my desire to eat pork. Although I know that the virus behind the Swine Flu is not directly associated with the consumption of the meat, I still have reservations about eating a meat that in its raw form has become a deadly weapon against mankind.

What is the Swine Flu?

The Swine Flu is a virus that originated from pigs - thus the name Swine Flu although it is also transmitted between other animals as well. This virus, known as the A-Virus, is an anthropo-zoonosis virus meaning that it's highly contagious between humans and swine. It is passed back and forth between the two, but what makes it deadly is that when the pigs get their own virus back their bodies mutate the virus with their own bacteria and create another stronger virus. This is why each year there is a new version of the old virus, making last year's vaccines useless in combating this year's new version.

For more details on the origin of the Swine Flu, click here.

It's very difficult to understand how an animal that is responsible for creating and continuing to spread a virus as deadly as the Swine Flu can still be considered a healthy food to eat. Surely, there are enough kinds of meats available on the market that can be made into innumerable and delicious meals that we should not have to resort to eating an animal that is filled with such a virus.

It would be argued that the pigs are well cared for and properly prepared for consumption and therefore, are clean to eat. But with such a deadly virus filtering through our societies and one that is caused by the pigs, can we not assume that eating the meat from such an animal could be dangerous for us? How can we be so sure that every particle of the virus has been destroyed before we consume the meat?

And what about the people that handle the raw meat? Can we know for sure that all hygienic precautions are being taken so that there aren't any germs or virus left in or on the raw meat that is not being unknowingly spread? Can we trust that the meat is being cleaned and stored properly so that it remains clean and healthy to eat?

Probably the one issue about eating pork that bothers me the most is a political one. Since we know that the Swine Flu is caused by and continues to be spread through swine, and since the virus has now become a deadly pandemic globally, why aren't there strict and enforced regulations put on pig farming?

This solution is easier said than done because there are thousands of small farms in poverty stricken countries that will never be subject to or included in the large picture. But since the future of mankind in many countries could be seriously challenged by the threat of this virus, shouldn't it become the mandate of every nation and of every person to help ensure that every pig farmer in the world follows the regulations? It's an almost impossible task to ensure this kind of precaution, but if it were possible, it would certainly be a wise start to ending this horror.

The Swine Flu has no preference and is not a respecter of persons, and we must do everything within our ability to avoid getting it, and for me that begins with not eating its meat. For more information on how to avoid the Swine Flu click here.

So, until I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is no danger in eating pork, I will avoid it just as I try to avoid the plague that it causes.

Learn more about this author, Ronnie Dauber.
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