Some experts say those farms are perfect incubators for cooking up new strains of swine flu.
Johns Hopkins environmental health professor Ellen Silbergeld is one of them. She spoke recently on the nationally syndicated radio show, "Living on Earth."
"We need to recognize the critical role of industrial food animal production in the emergence of new diseases," she said.
On these industrial hog farms, the animals are packed like sardines. They are literally raised in their own waste, which is full of bacteria and viruses. What goes out the pigs' back end can come in the front end.
This is not good, Silbergeld said.
"You've got a lot of hosts available to exchange a pathogen, which is one of the processes by which viruses and bacteria evolve and acquire mutations." And, she notes, "Influenzas can survive in wastes for months."
Back in 2003, the American Public Health Association said these grotesquely unsanitary animal feeding factories should be banned. That's fine with me, even though it would drive up the price of my breakfast.
Meanwhile, I suppose I could do my part by refusing to eat or buy pork from these industrial farms.
But while the spirit is willing, my flesh is weak. Though my brain tries to tell me I should stop chowing down on food from such unsavory sources, my taste buds refuse to go along.
That bacon and ham is relatively cheap protein, and it's soooo tasty and convenient. I tried the vegetarian thing long ago but I had a traumatic experience with tofu nut balls and became a carnivore again.
I am not proud to say it, but I must admit my addiction. Swine flu or no, I am powerless over pork.
-- Matt Zencey
Important warning about e-mails purporting to be from the adn.com staff.