How common is swine influenza ?
Swine influenza can reach epidemic form among pigs but low pathogenicity forms are more common than high. Just like human flu in humans, it is an endemic respiratory ailment. Outside of epidemics, it is not usually found in human beings; the US records cases in single figures in most years. A pandemic is defined as an epidemic that is geographically widespread; occurring throughout a region or even throughout the world; the April outbreak lead to over one hundred deaths, mostly in Mexico, and affected people in a score of far-flung nations. But to call that an epidemic, let alone a pandemic, is a sick joke. ‘Normal flu’ does exactly the same thing, year in, year out. The fact that we can trace it more easily and identify the victims does not redefine epidemic or pandemic; the fact the world panics so easily is probably little defence. The pandemic will come; current farming methods, population density, and the fact that millions of us fly in poorly ventilated jet aircraft is testament
