Hog farm connection should be investigated

We know the outbreak began in Mexico, but there's still many questions about where exactly the virus originated and spread to humans. While health organizations continue to investigate, the press is now reporting a potential link between Smithfield, one of the largest industrial hog producers, and a village near a hog plant in the state of Veracruz, Mexico.

Tom Philpott, a columnist for the online magazine, grist, first wrote about reports in the Mexican press about a possible link between a Smithfield subsidiary's industrial hog facilities in Perote, Vera Cruz, and the spread of disease in a nearby village. (disclosure: I once stayed on Philpott's farm in North Carolina, and dined on his delicious food.)

The Guardian and the Associated Press have both picked up on the story. The Guardian reported that one boy tested positive for swine flu, but that 60 percent of the town's population had come down with a "strange" respiratory illness.

Smithfield has issued a statement saying, "Based on available recent information, Smithfield has no reason to believe that the virus is in any way connected to its operations in Mexico. The company also noted that its joint ventures in Mexico routinely administer influenza virus vaccination to their swine herds and conduct monthly tests for the presence of swine influenza."

The situation remains unclear, but we hope that health organization investigate the reported link. "If 60% of the population near a huge swine farm comes down with flu-like symptoms, and given the science of this particular swine flu strain, then it is prudent for officials to carefully investigate by testing pigs from nearby farms, small and large, including the Smithfield facility," says Michael Hansen, a senior scientist at Consumers Union.

Hansen also spoke to Aaron French of the blog, Civil Eats, which reports that the nonprofit, Food and Water Watch, has sent a letter to Congress asking them to push for an investigation into the "source of the virus, the pathway for transmission between hogs and humans, and conditions inside hog confinement operations that could foster the growth and mutation of the influenza virus into more virulent strains."

—Kevin McCarthy, associate editor