H1N1 Flu and Pork Production Connection Raised By Jonathan Safran Foer

kevinhutchinson's Flickr photostream/Creative Commons

The vaccine for the H1N1 virus has received quite a bit of attention lately, however, important questions remain unattended about the origins of the vicious strain and the likely possibility that it spread from unsanitary conditions on factory pig farms.  Jonathan Safran Foer, on the other hand, is not shying away from examining the connection between what was originally known as swine flu and large-scale concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs).

I'm glad that Foer is attempting to bring the health risks posed by CAFOs to the attention of the mainstream media, as he did during his recent appearance on Ellen, and hopefully we will begin to see a more thorough investigation of origins of H1N1.  Earlier this year I discussed the concerns that H1N1 may have spread from a hog farm in Mexico, and a lawsuit that was filed against the pork producer Smithfield Foods, but Foer has his sights set on a pig farm in North Carolina as the original source of the virus. 

Ultimately, it has become abundantly clear that the current industrial model used to produce meat, which is rife with poor hygiene, waste management, overcrowding and overall unsanitary conditions, poses too great of a risk to our health and the environment and need to be done away with.  Watch Foer's appearance on Ellen below and use the act link to find out how you can get involved.