US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that four pigs tested for swine flu in Minnesota state, USA were indeed infected, even though they appeared healthy. Meanwhile, the Norwegian Ministry of Agriculture also confirmed that eight additional pig herds have been discovered sick in the country.

The US is thus the ninth country with infected pigs identified. Experts have noted that the flu spreads from humans to pigs more easily than previously believed. The threat remains of the virus mutating within pigs, especially those crowded together on farms, which could then be passed back to humans in a mutated, more fast-spreading and deadlier form.

Demonstrating the particular vulnerability of youngsters, schools in Howard County, Maryland, USA have reported more flu absences, reaching as high as 10 percent of the student population 27 times so far this school season, with kindergartens absent by up to 21 percent one day last week. Meanwhile, countries reporting new fatalities include India, France, Iran, Cambodia and Âu Lạc (Vietnam). Globally, 4,825 lives have been lost, with total cases too numerous to count.

With sorrow for the suffering patients and their families, we share the world’s concern to see the emergence of swine flu in more pig populations worldwide and pray that it does not spread further. May we soon see a worldwide closure of animal farms along with adoption of the organic vegan diet for the life-supporting benefit of all.

Reference
http://www.france24.com/en/node/4905167
http://www.norwaypost.no/content/view/22639/48/
http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/health1/two-swine-flu-deaths-take-indias-toll-to-415_100262764.html
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/howard/bal-ho.swine18oct18,0,1015556.story
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-10/19/content_12268874.htm http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-10/19/content_12270318.htm http://www.france24.com/en/node/4904336 http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE59F54620091016
http://sify.com/news/Three-swine-flu-deaths-take-toll-to-408-in-India-news-National-jksmEdhbgga.html
http://www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=108961§ionid=3510212