When your idea of fun is rolling around in mud all day, it’s
kind of difficult to get a bad name – but with the swine flu outbreak,
even pigs are being unfairly labelled. Truth is, that the virus isn’t
caused or carried by pigs and so the Belize Agricultural and Health Authority
says you can safely eat well-cooked pork. BAHA’s Deputy Director of Animal
Health Dr. Miguel Figueroa says that is because the swine flu isn’t a
food safety concern – it is a health concern.
Dr. Miguel Figueroa, BAHA’s Deputy Director of Animal Health
“The message I want to get across is that pork is safe to eat. There
is no food safety concern. Swine flu is not a disease that affects pigs. There
is no evidence that suggests that pigs get affected by this new strain so of
course not, it is a human disease, not a pig disease.”
Keith Swift,
So people shouldn’t be concerned about eating pork?
Dr. Miguel Figueroa,
“No, absolutely not. It is not a food safety concern. As I mentioned
before it is a human disease, it is a new virus that has developed and that
affects only humans and there is, as I said, no evidence that would suggest
that it affects pigs. H1N1 it is a swine virus and so actually but the new strain
of the virus, it came from the pig I guess but it is a different virus.”
Farmers are however advised to report any respiratory problems in their
pigs to BAHA since as weird - as it may sound – humans can actually transmit
the virus to pigs. And since pigs are safe to be around and pork is safe to
eat – the Ministry of Agriculture today announced that there are no plans
to cancel this weekend’s Agriculture and Trade Show. That however could
change as the situation develops.