GENEVA - The World Health Organization says it will stop using the term "swine flu" to avoid confusion over the danger posed by pigs.
WHO spokesman Dick Thompson says the name change comes after the agriculture industry and the UN food agency expressed concerns that the term "swine flu" was misleading consumers and needlessly causing countries to order the slaughter of pigs.
He told reporters in Geneva "we're going to stick with the technical scientific name H1N1 influenza A."
The WHO raised the pandemic flu alert to Phase 5 on Wednesday, one step away from the highest level indicating a global outbreak.
WHO flu chief Keiji Fukuda said Thursday that the UN agency has seen nothing yet to prompt it to further raise the alert level.
The WHO to stop using term swine flu to avoid confusion over danger from pigs
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Published on
April 30, 2009
- Published on January 3, 2010
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The Associated Press ~ staff The News
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Comments
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- No Name
- - January 18, 2010 at 12:24:15
And if that's not acceptable, then I say go with Chimney Flu. That takes advantage of a name already out there so it's familiar.
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- No Name
- - January 18, 2010 at 12:08:36
Let's call it the Hollywood Flu. Everybody loves Hollywood and so nobody will be bothered by associating that name with the title of a pandemic. It's a win-win.
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- sparky00
- - January 18, 2010 at 11:54:41
Does the media think that the public constantly has to be scared of something? It's a flu people, live with it.
If it gets bad, go to a hospital, but please don't rush to the emerg just because you have the sniffles.
If you have recently been to Mexico, or have had close contact with someone who has, then go to the clinic or your doctor and get tested. Otherwise don't panic.
JMO
