Swine Flu!

pix 1. (C) 3M™



The images that come to my mind when Avian Flu is mentioned is that of people streaming through airports or public places with face masks covering their mouths and noses, this image has also been reinforced with the recent pandemic of influenza A H1N1 ( previously referred to as swine flu).



What is the risk of us recording cases of 'swine flu' in our country. If it was before the advent of international travel especially by air one would be confident to say that it may be impossible for such a bug to hit us in this country except if the birds of the air transmitted a very similar virus while migrating from coast to coast (a tall extrapolation!). But with the advent of travel which ensures you can go round the world in 5 days compared to Jules Verne's 80days there is no such consolation in assuming we are immune to the ravages of the virus.

The pig is the unfortunate mammal that acts as a mixing bowl for this virus and it is said to be more virulent than if it had passed through birds alone. The unfortuante label of swine flu cauded the demise of thousands of pigs in Egypt, they would have wished they had been born in another country more accomodating of their presence and it will go down in the annals of pig history as mass annihilation of their kind since Jesus ordered demons to go into the pigs which subsequently jumped into the river and drowned.

Anyways Im hoping that Swine flu or H1N1 the more politically correct way of referring to the virus doesn't take a hike into our beloved Nation even with all the assurances being pandered about.

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