Inof I received from State of Texas today!

Good afternoon Chaplain Louis,
The brief notice below has some helpful tips and links for more information on the swine flu situation.
Please feel free to share this. Carla Everett, Texas Animal Health Commission

Information About Swine Flu

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security:
People cannot get swine influenza from eating pork or pork products. Most influenza viruses, including the swine flu virus, are not spread by food.
Eating properly handled and cooked pork products is safe.
No food safety issues have been identified, related to the flu.
Preliminary investigations have determined that none of the people infected with the flu had contact with hogs.
The virus is spreading by human-to-human transmission.

The CDC recommends the following measures to prevent the transmission of flu:
Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
Wash your hands frequently and use alcohol-based sanitizers.
Try not touch surfaces that may be contaminated with the flu virus.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Try to stay in good general health.
Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.

Detailed information and updates on the flu outbreak may be obtained at:
Texas Department of State Health Services http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/ (then click on “Swine Flu”)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/

If you own swine, consider the following practices to enhance the biosecurity on your farm to prevent the disease from being transmitted to your herd:
Workers should shower and change into farm-specific clothes and shoes before entering swine facilities.
Establish, implement and enforce strict sick leave policies for workers presenting influenza-like symptoms.
Recommend that workers with symptoms be seen by a medical provider immediately.
Restrict the entry of people into your facility to only workers and essential service personnel.
Prevent international visitors from entering your facilities.
Ensure adequate ventilation in facilities to minimize re-circulation of air inside animal housing facilities.
Vaccinate pigs against the influenza virus. Vaccination of pigs can reduce the levels of virus shed by infected animals
Contact your swine veterinarian if swine exhibit flu-like or respiratory illness, especially if the onset or presentation of the illness is unusual.
Notify your Texas Animal Health Commission area office or the Austin headquarters at 800-550-8242, after you have contacted your veterinarian.

The Texas Animal Health Commission is ready to assist with on-farm investigations, if pigs are present where a known human case has occurred,
and to assist with epidemiological investigations with any human cases that may have links to swine in Texas.

More information for producers may be obtained at:
National Pork Producers Council http://www.nppc.org/
Texas Pork Producers Association http://www.texaspork.org/