It is a beautiful day in Washington, DC. Glad to make it finally. The Potomac River was lined with people out biking, walking, boating and having a picnic. I couldn’t resist a short run out on the Mall in front of our Nation’s Capitol.
The WX Channel said 92 degrees when I landed. That’s hotter than I’ve been in since last summer.
I’m ready to meet up with some NAFB peeps to see what all is on everyone’s mind. Swine flu sure popped up on the radar fast. Already lots of rumor floating around and I’ve heard more than one reporter call it a “crisis.” I hate that word.
As Tricia Braid-Terry, RFD Radio Network, pointed out in an email, you can find the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention tweeting about it. You can search the Twitter hashtag #swineflu for a lot more. The CDC has a “What’s New on Swine Flu” site up too.
The National Pork Board has issued a statement about the subject too:
Amid public concern about the reports of swine influenza in humans, the National Pork Board wishes to reassure the public that pork is safe and will continue to be safe to consume. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has posted this statement on its Web site (cdc.org/swineflu):
“Swine influenza viruses are not spread by food. You cannot get swine influenza from eating pork or pork products. Eating properly handled and cooked pork products is safe.”
The CDC and other health organizations continue to caution that the virus is contagious and is spreading from humans to humans. The CDC has said it has not found any evidence to indicate that any of the illnesses resulted from contact with pigs.
Nonetheless, the National Pork Board is encouraging pork producers to maintain strict biosecurity procedures on their farms.