By now, I’m sure everyone has heard that swine flu has sickened a number of people in New York, Ohio, Kansas, Texas, California, and Illinois, and more illnesses are suspected in other states. The same strain of swine flu killed at least 149 people in Mexico and sickened about 2,000 more. Experts suspect that the outbreak originated on a pig farm operated by Granjas Carroll, a Mexican subsidiary of Smithfield Foods, the largest pork producer in the United States.

Unfortunately, vegans aren’t immune to swine flu. From what I understand, the disease can spread from person to person, just like the common cold. Health authorities have been quick to point out that people can’t get swine flu from eating pork anyway (something I’m skeptical about).

But the disease came about because pigs are intensively farmed so that people can have pork. Factory farms are total disease reservoirs. The filthy, crowded conditions and deplorable practices have not only given rise to swine flu, but also to bird flu, mad cow disease, and MRSA, an antibiotic-resistant staphylococcus bacterium that kills more Americans than AIDS.

People don’t “just” hurt animals, the environment, and their own health by eating meat—which can cause heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer—they put other people’s health at risk too. This really irks me. Much like smokers harm people who are forced to breathe secondhand smoke, meat-eaters endanger others by creating an environment that is rife with bacteria and disease.

Meat producers share in the blame, of course. But while I have no sympathy for the meat industry, I do acknowledge that they are producing meat because there is a demand for it. (Fortunately, the demand is falling every day, with each new vegetarian.) Cleaning up the filth in animal factories will help slow the spread of animal-borne diseases, but the sheer number of farmed animals raised—more than 10 billion a year in the U.S. alone—to satisfy people’s taste for meat makes this difficult to do. After all, if each meat-eater bought their meat from a small, clean(ish), organic family farm, the family farms would quickly be forced to employ factory farm practices just to keep up with the demand.

No swine, no swine flu

dying and diseased pigs

Now that the swine flu outbreak has invaded our shores, I’m hoping more people will have second thoughts about raising animals for food. Everyone—humans and animals— will be better off when people trade in their hot dogs and pork sausage for veggie dogs and soy sausage.

I’m just not sure what else it will take to convince people to go vegetarian. The suffering of animals alone should be enough to make people swear off meat. When you add in environmental and humanitarian issues and personal health concerns, you have an ironclad case that should convince everyone to go vegetarian. Now that the laundry list of animal-borne diseases—bird flu, mad cow, MRSA, even SARS—has grown by one, I can’t help but wonder: If the “emergence” of swine flu, on top of everything else, won’t prompt people to stop eating meat, what will?

I don’t know about the rest of you out there, but I don’t like to eat fecal matter. If you’re eating meat, you are undoubtedly eating feces. Feces belongs in the toilet or used for fertilizer, not human consumption.

Wondering why you get sick so often? Why you have about 20 nasty colds per year? Why get get those stomach viruses? Why you get sore / strep throat? Why you have no energy? Why you are tired all day long after 8 hours of sleep?

Well, I’m sure it has a lot to do with meat consumption. It’s bad enough that you cells are being invaded with toxin-riddled flesh, now your body has to deal with animal waste on top of that! Phew….

Would you sprinkle dried pellets of human feces on your salad? No, I don’t think you would. But you may as well, since you’re already enjoying plenty of feces every time you bite into a juicy hamburger or rip a part some “mouth watering” steak. Think about that the next time you consume some animal flesh.

Washington, D.C.-A new study shows that 84 percent of adults have no idea that the primary source of salmonella, campylobacter, E. coli, and other foodborne pathogens on poultry and meat is animal feces.

The survey of 1,000 men and women was completed during the period of July 26-29, 2001, by Opinion Research Corporation International on behalf of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM). Foodborne illnesses are at epidemic levels in the United States; the Centers for Disease Control estimate there are at least 76 million cases each year, usually from consumption of animal products.

“Our findings show the vast majority of Americans do not understand there are feces on meat and poultry,” says PCRM staff attorney Mindy Kursban. “In fact, there’s a major disconnect in the public consciousness between the foodborne illnesses that sicken so many of us and their originating cause: animal excrement.”

Survey respondents answered the following question: “When salmonella and other disease-causing bacteria are found on meat and poultry, which of the following do you think BEST describes where these bacteria originally came from?”

The answers were as follows:

“They [foodborne pathogens] came from animal blood.” [10 percent]

“They came from dirty hands.” [19 percent]

“They are naturally present in the meat.” [17 percent]

“They are naturally present in the animal’s skin.” [9 percent]

“They came from animal feces.” [16 percent]

“They came from dirty air in a slaughter house.” [15 percent]

Didn’t think any of these were the right answer or didn’t know. [13 percent]

Doctors Petition USDA to Ensure “Feces-Free” Meat or Issue Biohazard Labels

A total of 1,444,920 new cancer cases and 559,650 deaths for cancers are projected to occur in the United States in 2007. Cancer still accounts for more deaths than heart disease in persons under age 85 years. From a total of 58 million deaths worldwide in 2005, cancer accounts for 7.6 million (or 13%) of all deaths.

The main types of cancer leading to overall cancer mortality are:

• Lung (1.3 million deaths/year)
• Stomach (almost 1 million deaths/year)
• Liver (662,000 deaths/year)
• Colon (655,000 deaths/year)
• Breast (502,000 deaths/year)

Deaths from cancer in the world are projected to continue rising, with an estimated 9 million people dying from cancer in 2015 and 11.4 million dying in 2030.

Quick Cancer Facts

• Forty percent of cancer can be prevented (by a healthy diet, physical activity and not using tobacco).
• Tobacco use is the single largest preventable cause of cancer in the world. Tobacco use causes cancer of the lung, throat, mouth, pancreas, bladder, stomach, liver, kidney and other types; Environmental tobacco smoke (passive smoking) causes lung cancer.
• One-fifth of cancers worldwide are due to chronic infections, mainly from hepatitis B viruses, causing liver cancer. The human papilloma viruses HPV cause cervical cancer. Helicobacter pylori are implicated in Stomach cancer. Parasites like schistosomes can cause bladder cancer and the liver fluke bile duct cancer.

A celebrity who conquered cancer:

Melissa Etheridge, one of the most recognizable and popular was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2004 at age 43. She underwent chemotherapy and a lumpectomy and is on the road to recovery. Melissa actually attended a Grammy award ceremony with her beautiful baldhead. Melissa said in Organic Style magazine, “People said I was courageous because I went on the Grammy’s with no hair. For me, it was just the best decision…I didn’t see it as an act of courage.”

Since the cancer diagnosis Melissa Etheridge has made some major changes in her life. She was quoted in Organic Style as saying, “When I was told I had breast cancer last October at 43, I began to change from the very second I got the diagnosis. I started listening to my body, and I became more aware of everything. With cancer, you start looking at your whole life and cutting the dark things out of it. I often say that cancer is a gift in that way.”

Melissa also reports that she loves yoga now and does it every day. And she watches what she eats, but she doesn’t use food to reward or deny herself anymore.

Having cancer does not necessarily mean that it is a death sentence. Although the incidence of cancer has been increasing, it is possible to prevent cancer and even fight it off successfully. 40% of the all cancers can be prevented by a healthy diet, which could be more vegetarian or vegan. The studies also highlight the importance of exercise in our lives and avoidance of tobacco in all its forms.