Search: swine flu
Why: It's all anyone ever talks about anymore.
Answer: A respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza viruses. Outbreaks of swine flu happen regularly in pigs. People do not normally get it, but human infections can and do happen. Most commonly, human cases of swine flu happen in people who are around pigs, though it's possible for swine flu viruses to spread from person to person. The new strain found in Mexico and the U.S. is a mixture of swine, human, and avian flu viruses.
Symptoms of swine flu in people are similar to the symptoms of regular human flu: fever, cough, body aches, fatigue, etc. In humans, cases can vary in severity from mild to severe. From 2005 until January 2009, 12 human cases of swine flu were detected in the U.S. with no deaths occurring. When passing from person to person, it is thought to transfer mainly through the coughing or sneezing of infected people.
Swine flu viruses are not spread through food. People can not get it from eating pork or pork products. Eating properly handled and cooked pork products is safe.
Source: News.XinhuaNet
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