Did Swine Flu Come from a CAFO?

There has been much speculation by public health officials and the media that Swine Flu, renamed Influenza A (H1N1), is linked to a Smithfield Foods CAFO operating in Perote, Mexico. The illness, a mix of swine, avian and human flu, first manifested in Perote in late March, affecting 28% of the population, reports Grist.

Perote villagers had complained for months about the enormous amounts of manure and the putrid smell coming from the Smithfield plant.

Smithfield protested the flu originated in its Mexican facility, which raises 950,000 hogs each year. The company says that tests conducted at the Perote operation found no evidence that the pigs were infected, but it's not clear what tests were used. According to Grist, the livestock giant controlled which hogs it tested.

Texas resident Steven Trunnell is suing Smithfield Foods for $1 billion for wrongful death of his pregnant wife, Judy Trunnell who, in May, was the first US victim to die the H1N1 virus according to Time Magazine. The suit says that while the company may not have purposely bred the disease, the poor condition of its plant allowed H1N1 to be introduced to the world. He disputes the validity of the Mexican tests and wants a team of his own experts to examine the Perote hogs.

Trunnell said if the case moves ahead, he would be open to including other H1N1 victims in a class action lawsuit.

The World Health Organization reports that as of September 11, there have been over 277,607 cases of Swine Flu resulting in 3205 deaths worldwide. Since countries are not required to report cases any longer, the actual numbers are most likely higher.

Though the pork industry says you can't catch swine flu from eating pork, the World Health Organization says you can catch it from handling the raw meat.