Comments on: Swine Flu and Agribusiness — Who Bears the Costs of the Market Externalities? http://www.triplepundit.com/2009/04/swine-flu-and-agribusiness-who-bears-the-costs-of-the-market-externalities/ Business, Better. Since 2005 Mon, 22 Mar 2010 03:58:43 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Matt W http://www.triplepundit.com/2009/04/swine-flu-and-agribusiness-who-bears-the-costs-of-the-market-externalities/comment-page-1/#comment-9250 Matt W Thu, 30 Apr 2009 15:03:56 +0000 http://www.triplepundit.com/wordpress/2009/04/swine-flu-and-agribusiness-who-bears-the-costs-of-the-market-externalities/#comment-9250 Flu pandemics have been happening regularly for three hundred years, and probably longer. New viruses are usually created in the sustainable polyculture of the chinese rice paddy, where humans, swine, domestic and wild fowl all mingle. The migratory wild fowl are a key link- they spread new bird flu variants globally. Confinemant agriculture isolates hogs from chickens, and both from migratory birds. Of course, once a virus enters a CAFO it is sure to spread throughout it. The new flu may have arisen in a CAFO, but the mix of human, swine and bird genetics is more likely in a situation where all three hosts are in close proximity. Factory animal farms breed antibiotic resistant bacteria and poison the water. There is no evidence that they spread the flu. Flu pandemics have been happening regularly for three hundred years, and probably longer. New viruses are usually created in the sustainable polyculture of the chinese rice paddy, where humans, swine, domestic and wild fowl all mingle. The migratory wild fowl are a key link- they spread new bird flu variants globally. Confinemant agriculture isolates hogs from chickens, and both from migratory birds.
Of course, once a virus enters a CAFO it is sure to spread throughout it. The new flu may have arisen in a CAFO, but the mix of human, swine and bird genetics is more likely in a situation where all three hosts are in close proximity.
Factory animal farms breed antibiotic resistant bacteria and poison the water. There is no evidence that they spread the flu.

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