ND Department of Agriculture Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 5, 2009

H1N1 THE MOST ACCURATE NAME FOR CURRENT FLU STRAIN

BISMARCK – Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring says that the term “swine flu” is being wrongly used to describe the current flu epidemic, and that North Dakotans have nothing to fear from eating pork.

“Both the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization have plainly stated that the current H1N1 influenza strain, mistakenly called swine flu, is not spread by food,” Goehring said. “The H1N1 virus is spread primarily by human-to human contact – pork is not the problem.”

Goehring said that the World Organization for Animal Health is on record saying the respiratory flu should be called the “North American influenza” because of its geographic origin.

“Unfortunately, misuse of the term ‘swine flu’ has caught on, and is having a negative impact on the pork industry, including North Dakota producers,” Goehring said. “Viral mutations frequently happen when humans and animals live in very close proximity, as is Third World and developing countries where people keep their livestock indoors with them because the animals are prized possessions.”

Goehring said that some researchers believe the H1N1 virus is being called "swine flu" because of the infamous Spanish flu pandemic of 1918.

“Even though that Spanish flu virus probably originated with wild birds, it became known as the swine influenza virus because of its devastating impact on swine populations, as well as human beings,” he said.

The agriculture commissioner encouraged North Dakota to heed the advice of public health agencies, such as the North Dakota Department of Health, while the flu epidemic continues.

“The authorities have issued common-sense guidelines for protecting yourself and your family,” Goehring said. “Our ham, bacon, chops and other pork products remain high quality, delicious and safe.”

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MEDIA: For more information, please call Ted Quanrud at (701) 328-2233 or tquanrud@nd.gov or Patrice Lahlum at (701) 239-7210 or plahlum@nd.gov.