CASPER
New member
W.H.O - U.S. to Blame for the Swine Flu
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SWINE FLU OUTBREAK LINKED TO SMITHFIELD FACTORY FARMS- a U.S. COMPANY
Code:
The outbreak of a new flu strain—a nasty mash-up of swine, avian, and human viruses—has infected 1,000 people in Mexico and the U.S., killing 68. The World Health Organization warned Saturday that the outbreak could reach global pandemic levels.
Is Smithfield Foods, the world’s largest pork packer and hog producer, linked to the outbreak? Smithfield operates massive hog-raising operations Perote, Mexico, in the state of Vera Cruz, where the outbreak originated. The operations, grouped under a Smithfield subsidiary called Granjas Carroll, raise 950,000 hogs per year, according to the company Web site.
On Friday, the U.S. disease-tracking blog Biosurveillance published a timeline of the outbreak containing this nugget, dated April 6
Residents [of Perote] believed the outbreak had been caused by contamination from pig breeding farms located in the area. They believed that the farms, operated by Granjas Carroll, polluted the atmosphere and local water bodies, which in turn led to the disease outbreak. According to residents, the company denied responsibility for the outbreak and attributed the cases to “flu.” However, a municipal health official stated that preliminary investigations indicated that the disease vector was a type of fly that reproduces in pig waste and that the outbreak was linked to the pig farms. It was unclear whether health officials had identified a suspected pathogen responsible for this outbreak.
From what I can tell, the possible link to Smithfield has not been reported in the U.S. press. Searches of Google News and the websites of the New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal all came up empty. The link is being made in the Mexican media, however. “Granjas Carroll, causa de epidemia en La Gloria,” declared a headline in the Vera Cruz-based paper La Marcha. No need to translate that, except to point out that La Gloria is the village where the outbreak seems to have started. Judging from the article, Mexican authorities treat hog CAFOs with just as much if not more indulgence than their peers north of the border, to the detriment of surrounding communities and the general public health. Get this:
De acuerdo con uno de los habitantes de la comunidad, Eli Ferrer Cortés, los desechos fecales y orgánicos que produce Granjas Carroll no son tratados adecuadamente, lo que genera contaminación del agua y del viento en la region.
My rough translation: According to one community resident, the organic and fecal waste produced by Granjas Carrol isn’t adequately treated, creating water and air pollution in the region. One reporter witnessed—and smelled—the same thing in Hardin County, Iowa, a couple of years ago, another area marked by intensive industrial hog production. The article goes on to say that area residents have long complained of “fetid odors” in the air and water, and swarms of flies hovering around waste lagoons. Like their counterparts who live in CAFO-heavy U.S. areas, they also complain of respiratory ailments. Many have been complaining of this for years and have been totally ignored by the U.S. authorities Now, with 30 percent of the area’s residents now infected with the virulent flu bug, people are demanding that state and federal authorities inspect hog operations there. So far, reports La Marcha, the response has been: nada.
The Mexico City daily La Jornada has also made the link. According to the newspaper, the Mexican health agency IMSS has acknowledged that the orginal carrier for the flu could be the “clouds of flies” that multiply in the Smithfield subsidiary’s manure lagoons.
Again these greedy businessmen get away with it, without any regard to the affect on decent people. Reminds me of similar circumstances upon which the movie "Erin Brocevitch" was made. I hope there are a few more like her to go after these guys.
This country took immediate action;
Dominican Republic Closes its Borders Against Possible Carriers of "Swine Flu"
SANTO DOMINGO.- Public Health minister Bautista Rojas Monday said the authorities have enough antiviral medicines and masks to confront of a possible outbreak of swine flu, and the controls at port and airport terminals have already been placed to monitor the arrival of people who could be affected.
The official also said he’ll meet with his Department’s senior officials at 2 p.m. to instruct them on the measures to adopt across the country.
Rojas spoke after he met with the members of the Epidemiology Commission for about one hour, in which participated the ministers of Agriculture, Armed Forces, Tourism, Education, and the heads of the Port Authority, Immigration, Customs, Civil Aviation Institute, Emergency Operations Center and of the Airports.
He said from now on Public Health will be the spokesman on the country’s situation.
Lawmakers request restrictions on Mexico
The deputies Victor Terrero, and Renee Canaan urged the health authorities to ban flights and products from Mexico, to prevent the spread of the virus.
The lawmakers asked the Immigration Agency and the Agriculture Ministry to establish a temporary ban on passengers and products form Mexico, while the swine flu alert is in effect.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SWINE FLU OUTBREAK LINKED TO SMITHFIELD FACTORY FARMS- a U.S. COMPANY
Code:
Code:
http://www.smithfieldfoods.com/All links checked for viruses.The outbreak of a new flu strain—a nasty mash-up of swine, avian, and human viruses—has infected 1,000 people in Mexico and the U.S., killing 68. The World Health Organization warned Saturday that the outbreak could reach global pandemic levels.
Is Smithfield Foods, the world’s largest pork packer and hog producer, linked to the outbreak? Smithfield operates massive hog-raising operations Perote, Mexico, in the state of Vera Cruz, where the outbreak originated. The operations, grouped under a Smithfield subsidiary called Granjas Carroll, raise 950,000 hogs per year, according to the company Web site.
On Friday, the U.S. disease-tracking blog Biosurveillance published a timeline of the outbreak containing this nugget, dated April 6
Residents [of Perote] believed the outbreak had been caused by contamination from pig breeding farms located in the area. They believed that the farms, operated by Granjas Carroll, polluted the atmosphere and local water bodies, which in turn led to the disease outbreak. According to residents, the company denied responsibility for the outbreak and attributed the cases to “flu.” However, a municipal health official stated that preliminary investigations indicated that the disease vector was a type of fly that reproduces in pig waste and that the outbreak was linked to the pig farms. It was unclear whether health officials had identified a suspected pathogen responsible for this outbreak.
From what I can tell, the possible link to Smithfield has not been reported in the U.S. press. Searches of Google News and the websites of the New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal all came up empty. The link is being made in the Mexican media, however. “Granjas Carroll, causa de epidemia en La Gloria,” declared a headline in the Vera Cruz-based paper La Marcha. No need to translate that, except to point out that La Gloria is the village where the outbreak seems to have started. Judging from the article, Mexican authorities treat hog CAFOs with just as much if not more indulgence than their peers north of the border, to the detriment of surrounding communities and the general public health. Get this:
De acuerdo con uno de los habitantes de la comunidad, Eli Ferrer Cortés, los desechos fecales y orgánicos que produce Granjas Carroll no son tratados adecuadamente, lo que genera contaminación del agua y del viento en la region.
My rough translation: According to one community resident, the organic and fecal waste produced by Granjas Carrol isn’t adequately treated, creating water and air pollution in the region. One reporter witnessed—and smelled—the same thing in Hardin County, Iowa, a couple of years ago, another area marked by intensive industrial hog production. The article goes on to say that area residents have long complained of “fetid odors” in the air and water, and swarms of flies hovering around waste lagoons. Like their counterparts who live in CAFO-heavy U.S. areas, they also complain of respiratory ailments. Many have been complaining of this for years and have been totally ignored by the U.S. authorities Now, with 30 percent of the area’s residents now infected with the virulent flu bug, people are demanding that state and federal authorities inspect hog operations there. So far, reports La Marcha, the response has been: nada.
The Mexico City daily La Jornada has also made the link. According to the newspaper, the Mexican health agency IMSS has acknowledged that the orginal carrier for the flu could be the “clouds of flies” that multiply in the Smithfield subsidiary’s manure lagoons.
Again these greedy businessmen get away with it, without any regard to the affect on decent people. Reminds me of similar circumstances upon which the movie "Erin Brocevitch" was made. I hope there are a few more like her to go after these guys.
This country took immediate action;
Dominican Republic Closes its Borders Against Possible Carriers of "Swine Flu"
SANTO DOMINGO.- Public Health minister Bautista Rojas Monday said the authorities have enough antiviral medicines and masks to confront of a possible outbreak of swine flu, and the controls at port and airport terminals have already been placed to monitor the arrival of people who could be affected.
The official also said he’ll meet with his Department’s senior officials at 2 p.m. to instruct them on the measures to adopt across the country.
Rojas spoke after he met with the members of the Epidemiology Commission for about one hour, in which participated the ministers of Agriculture, Armed Forces, Tourism, Education, and the heads of the Port Authority, Immigration, Customs, Civil Aviation Institute, Emergency Operations Center and of the Airports.
He said from now on Public Health will be the spokesman on the country’s situation.
Lawmakers request restrictions on Mexico
The deputies Victor Terrero, and Renee Canaan urged the health authorities to ban flights and products from Mexico, to prevent the spread of the virus.
The lawmakers asked the Immigration Agency and the Agriculture Ministry to establish a temporary ban on passengers and products form Mexico, while the swine flu alert is in effect.
