Dutch pigs test positive for antibiotic-resistant MRSA

Researchers in the Netherlands have found that 39 percent of Dutch pigs and 20 percent of pig farmers are infected with an antibiotic resistant bacteria strain known as Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA).

This particular new strain has infected humans in several other European countries as well as Canada and Singapore.

Scientists fear that an MRSA epidemic in livestock may be inevitable, with animal farms a major source of MRSA infections among humans. Variants of the bug have also been found in pig and cow meats.

New serious contagions like MRSA could impose added burden to health and disease control systems already struggling with the current swine flu pandemic.

Official counts of swine flu pandemic cases in at least 168 countries and territories have reached 219,681 with 1,882 deaths, though the real tally is many times higher.

Cases in Asia have been rising relentlessly, with Macau reporting 300, China 2,350, and Indonesia 812.
Nearby Australia reported 5 more fatalities in adults.

Upon being diagnosed with swine flu on Tuesday, Nobel Peace Laureate and Costa Rican President Oscar Arias stated, “The pandemic makes no distinctions. I am one more case in this country and I am being submitted to the recommendations that health authorities have established for the entire population.”

Meanwhile, the widely applied remedy Tamiflu is raising concerns in the United Kingdom, where so far 418 reports have been filed reporting adverse side effects including allergic reactions and nausea.

We send our prayers for a safe recovery, Your Excellency President Arias and all others suffering from the swine flu virus as well as MRSA.

Our condolences to the loved ones of those who have succumbed to these diseases.
May we prevent such grave ailments through greater compassion shown toward our mistreated animal co-inhabitants.
Reference
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18325034
http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE57A0JR20090811?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews
http://www.spa.gov.sa/English/details.php?id=691879
http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesPublicSite/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2019060&Language=en
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-08/11/content_11862295.htm
http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=77&ContentID=161320
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25908602-5006784,00.html

Porcine companions show the incredible intelligence of pigs

After falling in love with a pig as a child, Priscilla Valentine later brought two potbellied pigs into her life as animal companions. She soon began teaching them tricks, and proved what scientists have been telling us for some time: that pigs are some of the most intelligent animals on the planet.

Today, Ms. Valentine and her partner have introduced their beloved pigs to the public through many venues as well as US television, including The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Animal Planet, and the Late Show with David Letterman.

SupremeMasterTV(F): What is it that the audiences love the most about these charming animals?

Priscilla (F): I think it is the humanness of the animals. That they can look into their eyes and can see that they are bright animals – that they can just look in there, and that the animals have personalities. Each pig has a different personality. We want to make people respect pigs. They are cleaner than dogs and cats,they are all potty trained and they are so intelligent; we want people to respect pigs, and give them that respect and treat them with respect.

VOICE: As we learn more about pigs, it becomes increasingly clear that consuming them as food is both inhumane and unnecessary. In particular, pigs raised through intensive farming systems have played a key role in the evolution of viruses, making swine flu for example, a perhaps avoidable source of human suffering, and loss of life. Experts say the number of people affected is probably many times more than the official count, which now has reached around 22,000 in 71 countries, including those newly afflicted, such as the island nations of Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago. Meanwhile, health authorities warn that children and adults over the age 60 are at greater risk, especially as many of the approximately 125 fatalities have been younger aged persons.

Thank you, Ms. Valentine and your valued porcine friends, for helping us better appreciate their wonderful nature. We pray for all persons who have been adversely affected by the swine flu and convey our sympathies for those who have suffered loss. Surely our world will
improve in manifold ways as all turn to the plant-based diet to respect and save lives.

Reference:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hxkl-bfeN-nUlN5MczlLHpVHhdmAD98K4VTO0