Health Check
Swine Flu Is Spreading at State Fairs So Stay Away From Prize Pigs
Just when you thought it was safe to head back to the county fair! Swine flu is back folks and officials say that petting those cute piggies is the surest way to get sick.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention warned there is an increase in cases linked to swine at fairs across the country.
The H3N2v virus has popped up in Hawaii, Ohio, and Indiana, and all were linked to people attending agricultural fairs or those who exhibited pigs there. Officials now suggest people at high risk for the flu -- kids, elderly, pregnant women, and people with weak immune systems -- avoid the bovines, who typically contract the virus in their intestines and throats, at these events.
It wasn't long ago another strain of the swine flu caused a pandemic in 2009. There were mass vaccinations but many cities had shortages. Thousands of people died in the United States, according to the CDC. Now officials are trying to get ahead of the problems before it gets out of control again.
Summer is the time of year for those much anticipated annual county fairs, but this new, small outbreak doesn't mean you should stay home. Go ahead and get your cotton candy and take a ride on the tilt-a-whirl, but when it comes to those prize pigs, hands off.
Are you worried about the swine flu?
Image via wattpublishing/Flickr
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Shawna
Aunt_ning
Pigs are actually called Swine,
And my first thought upon reading this was great, I was just at the clearfield country fair in PA over the weekend with my 13 yr old nephew...and we definitly went thru the pig barn, even though we didnt touch a pig who knows if someone else did and then didnt wash their hands
Shandi80
No, I'm not worried about the swine flu, I am more worried about the shots. A close friend of mine nearly died after getting the H1N1 vaccine.
PonyChaser
Cow = Bovine. Pig = Swine (they're also porcine, although in fairs, they're referred to as swine), Horse = Equine.
And seriously, people. Wash your hands. Most of us have immune systems strong enough to fight this stuff off. But if you must freak out, stay home. Then the fair won't be so crowded, and I'll have a better time. :)