The Next Big Thing: The Pigs Are Sick In China

Do you remember the big bird flu epidemic that was going to destroy civilization?You know, H5N1? Don't tell me you've forgotten about it already. Well, as they say, if pigs could fly.....

In an outbreak reminiscent of the early stages of SARS and bird flu, pigs are growing sick and dying across China’s southeastern Guangdong province. Roughly 3,000 pigs have been infected on hundreds of family farms and about 300 have died.

At least we don't have anything else to be worried about right now, right? Remember these letters, PRRS, which stands for Porcine Respiratory and Reproductive Syndrome. Sounds pretty damned serious doesn't it? Well, as bad as that sounds, it may have mutated. What an ugly word, mutated.

Certain symptoms of the current outbreak, including massive hemorrhaging, are not consistent with PRRS, and might indicate that the disease—most likely caused by a virus—has mutated. The outbreak has renewed fears that a viral pandemic is in the making in southern China.

Well, there you have it, the next big thing and you heard it here first.

You know how it is when you think of something ominous and get a chill? I wonder what this will do to the price of bacon.

Jim Martin