According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 2,371 humans have been officially infected with the influenza A (H1N1) virus – the so-called swine flu virus – with 42 deaths in Mexico and 2 deaths in the United States. Below is a list of countries, with confirmed human case totals, and deaths.
- Mexico – 1,112 confirmed cases, 42 deaths
- USA – 896 confirmed cases, 2 deaths
- Canada – 201
- Spain – 81
- United Kingdom – 32
- Germany – 10
- France – 5
- Italy – 5
- New Zealand – 5
- South Korea – 3
- El Salvador – 2
- Netherlands – 2
- Austria – 1
- China/Hong Kong – 1
- Colombia – 1
- Costa Rica – 1
- Denmark – 1
- Guatemala – 1
- Ireland – 1
- Israel – 1
- Poland – 1
- Portugal – 1
- Sweden – 1
- Switzerland – 1
WHO says travel restrictions related to the current outbreak of swine flu are not recommended. If you are ill you should delay your trip, while returning travelers who become ill should seek medical care. These prudent measures will help limit the spread of influenza, as well as many other communicable diseases.
If the pork meat and pork food products have been handled properly transmission of swine influenza to humans is not possible. Cooking pork meats to a temperature of 70C (160F) kills the virus. So the answer is YES, pork meat and pork food products are safe to eat.
- See our Map Of H1N1 Outbreaks
- See our Mexico Swine Flu Blog
Written by Christian Nordqvist