As the virus dubbed "swine flu" began making international headlines, lobbyists for the pork industry found themselves working overtime to convince the public of the safety of their product.
The lobbyists are making some headway; federal officials began referring to the disease as flu strain H1N1 last week. But most media outlets are sticking with the porcine nomenclature. "They're not following the science," Dave Warner, communications director for the National Pork Producers Council, told Philip Rucker of The Washington Post. "It's a respiratory illness. It's not a food illness."
Pork producers are feeling the strain. Exports are down, with many countries banning pork imports. Since the outbreak was first reported, pork prices have dropped by $5 per head. While Rucker was visiting the lobbying group's offices, Warner told lobyist Kirk Ferrell that the World Health Organization had named the disease "influenza A." "Well, [expletive]!" Ferrell replied. "If they only did that at the beginning." (Read more)
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