La Gloria, home of the first victim of swine flu, lies close to a collection of Smithfield’s farms. Residents in the area have long complained about an unnatural smell around the farms, and swarms of flies in the area. The type of fly found near these farms is known to reproduce in pig waste and is suspected of being a carrier of swine flu. Overcrowding and fetid lagoons filled with the rotting remains of dead hogs and fecal matter attracts the flies, which then pass the virus on to humans.
A municipal health official in Veracruz, Mexico stated that preliminary investigations indicated that the disease vector was a type of fly that reproduces in pig waste and that the outbreak was linked to the pig farms. Nearby residents believe that the farms, operated by Granjas Carroll, a brand owned by Smithfield Foods, polluted the atmosphere and local water bodies, which in turn led to the disease outbreak.
This company Smithfield Foods claim to “remain 100 percent committed to environmental leadership, community involvement, employee safety, animal welfare and high-quality food”. They have shown time and time again that they care more about profits than people and animals. Please don’t consume their products, don’t support their poison.
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