SWINE FLU OUTBREAK NOT RELATED TO PIGS: KOREAN FARMERS GROUP.

SEOUL, May 1 Asia Pulse - The swine flu outbreak that caused more than 150 deaths in Mexico is not related to pigs, the head of a local farmers' group said Thursday.

Kim Dong-hwan, head of the Korea Swine Association, said there is no scientific evidence linking hogs to the epidemic, and there is a need to correct public misconceptions.

"No hogs in Mexico or anywhere else have been found to carry the virus that has caused thousands of people to get sick around the world," he said.

The association chairman said because of public fears, there has been a 20 per cent drop in local hog prices. The drop is hurting the livelihoods of hog growers, who are already hard-pressed to cope with rising feed prices and the impact of free trade agreements with countries like Chile.

He said local farmers are dismayed that a problem that has nothing to do with them or the animals they raise is affecting consumer sentiment and rocking the entire market.

"If we did something wrong, local farmers are willing to take the blame, but the fear was caused by events that took place abroad, and based on unfounded concerns," he said.

He said that even if there is no risk of pork being infected with the particular strain of the H1N1 virus, the government should ban imports from North America to alleviate public concerns.