Bird flu in Bali pigs

One thing that has puzzled me about the spread of bird flu is the absence of researchers finding the disease in pigs.

That's good news, but now that's changed.

bird flu in pigs

The reason the lack of news about avian flu in pigs is good news itself is that pigs can catch both human and avian influenzas. Many influenza experts have feared the potential of pigs to act as genetic mixing bowls where ordinary seasonal human flu viruses interact with the H5N1 bird flu virus to create new genetic combinations . . .

. . . which could include a strain of virus with the strength and lethality of bird flu and the ability to easily pass from human to human of ordinary seasonal flu.

Through much of Asia, small farmers keep both chickens and pigs, often in the same building.

So far, a pandemic influenza has not emerged from some pig in Asia, but the potential is still there, as the above article shows.

We may be thankful that the country currently with the most widespread bird flu infections is mostly Muslim. So far as I know, most Indonesians do not keep pigs, because it is forbidden by their religion.

However, the people of Bali are mostly Hindus. They would not raise cattle for food, but are not forbidden to keep pigs.

Let's hope that the pigs of Bali do not breed a pandemic.


a bird flu complication -- encephalitis



Bird Flu in Pigs
Bird Flu in Pigs