Did swine flu stem from U.S. hog farms?

[marmar]

from Grist mag:



‘New Scientist’: Swine flu stems from virus that evolved in U.S. 3

Posted 2:03 PM on 30 Apr 2009
by Tom Philpott


In a pair of articles in New Scientist, Debora MacKenzie links the swine flu virus now spreading across the globe to large-scale pork-raising operations in the United States.

In the first article, titled “Swine flu: the predictable pandemic?,” MacKenzie writes that the “virus has been a serious pandemic threat for years, New Scientist can reveal—but research into its potential has been neglected compared with other kinds of flu.” She writes that the strain now in the headlines has its origins in an earlier outbreak in the United States a decade ago:

This type of virus emerged in the U.S. in 1998 and has since become endemic on hog farms across North America. Equipped with a suite of pig, bird and human genes, it was also evolving rapidly.

Before ‘98, MacKenzie claims, a genetically stable swine flu, in the H1N1 family, regularly visited hog farms, not causing much trouble. It was a relatively benign mutation of the strain that caused the great 1918 pandemic. But in 1998, something changed. Citing the work of Richard Webby of St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, MacKenzie writes:

Swine H1N1 hybridised with human and bird viruses, resulting in “triple reassortants” that surfaced in Minnesota, Iowa and Texas. The viruses initially had human surface proteins and swine internal proteins, with the exception of three genes that make RNA polymerase, the crucial enzyme the virus uses to replicate in its host. Two were from bird flu and one from human flu. Researchers believe that the bird polymerase allows the virus to replicate faster than those with the human or swine versions, making it more virulent.

Within a year, the triple-reassortant types became the dominant flu bugs seen on U.S. hog farms. Importantly, “unlike the swine virus they replaced,” the new ones “were actively evolving.” Today, she writes, “There are many versions with different pig or human surface proteins, including one, like the Mexican flu spreading now, with H1 and N1 from the original swine virus.” .........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-30-NS-swine-cafos/

[Stellabella]

1. Yes.

Corporate factory farms are to blame for this. And Mad Cow, and Avian Flu, which have not gone away.

When you torture animals, don't assume they are safe to eat. That's just stupid, and the reason I buy my meat from small, local farms that raise animals humanely and are inspected by my co-op.

[Deja Q]

2. 1998? THE CLENIS DID IT! THE CLENIS DID IT! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!

:hide:

[underpants]

3. Two related topics: Smithfield's Tar Heel plant and United Fruits cavendish banana

The Tar Heel plant processes up to 32,000 live hogs a day into plate-ready pork.
http://www.wral.com/news/state/story/4118572/

Panama Disease

Then in 1903, what should have brought these practices to a screeching halt, worsened the tale. A fungus named Fusarium oxysporum, commonly known as Panama disease or Agent Green and sometimes called Sigatoka, started to attack the monoculture crop, the Gros Michael variety. Since these crops were not grown from seed, but instead were all clones, the result of planting only from rhizomes (underground stems), none of the plants stood a chance once one had been infected.

Of course, United Fruit did what any giant of monoculture would do. They dumped tons of chemicals on the crops. It didn't work. The plants continued to die. Though advised that the only real solution was to plant a wide range of banana varieties, United Fruit's only real concern was the short term bottom line. Their first solution was to find more impoverished nations with the right climate and repeat what they'd done to Costa Rica, and by that time, many other nations.

Sigatoka Disease

The company's own adherence to short term profit, even over its own long term survival, resulted in a refusal to engage in even the most basic techniques to avoid carrying the infection to previously-unaffected locations. The chemicals slowed the progression on Panama disease, but didn't stop it. Then, in 1935, Sigatoka, an even more virulent fungus, showed up. This was the death-knell of the Gros Michael banana.

By 1960, the Gros Michael banana was extinct. United Fruit, though, was lucky. They found another variety, the Cavendish, that was resistant to the fungus infections. Note, though, the word resistant. They were not immune.

Naturally, Cavendish bananas replaced Gros Michaels. United Fruit -- by then known as Chiquita -- didn't learn any good lessons. They continued the same practices of monoculture clone planting, massive chemical use, and moving to new countries as the bananas in old ones died.
http://www.naturalnews.com/023339.html

[seemslikeadream]

4. yes

[TahitiNut]

5. "evolved"?

Impossible. It's a dinosaur virus. :dunce: