If you think the swine flu came from a factory farm, you're just a crazy, tinfoil hat-wearing conspiracy theorist, says Reuters. Here's Reuters defense of the Smithfield factory farm:
Dead pigs in China, evil factory farms in Mexico and an Al Qaeda plot involving Mexican drug cartels are a few wild theories seeking to explain a deadly swine flu outbreak that has killed up to 176 people.
Nobody knows for sure but scientists say the origins are in fact far less sinister and are likely explained by the ability of viruses to mutate and jump from species to species as animals and people increasingly live closer to each other.
Aha! People who think that the swine flu might come from swine are as crazy as people who think that Osama bin Ladin caused it! Fortunately, a HuffPo piece by David Kirby gives us the facts. To refute the Reuters claim that "Some of the rumors mentioned noxious fumes from pig manure and flies, neither a known vector for flu viruses," Kirby says:
Last year, the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Practices issued a landmark report that described air emissions - or "noxious fumes"- measured outside large concentrated animal feeding operations, (CAFOs), or factory farms. In addition to toxic gases such as ammonia, methane, hydrogen sulfide and others, scientists also measured high levels of particulate matter and bioaerosols blowing out from the giant vents at the end of each massive animal confinement.
"Particulate matter associated with CAFOs is composed of fecal matter, feed materials, skin cells, microorganisms, and the products of microbial action on feces and feed," the report said.
He adds that:
La Gloria, Veracruz, thought to be the epicenter of the pandemic, is close to a massive hog complex that generates the same amount of raw sewage as a small city every day.
Oh, and the flies? Yeah, turns out those can carry the flu virus too. |
