Crowding pigs into factory farms likely led to the emergence of the H1N1 swine flu pandemic. So far, millions of people have been infected and thousands have died. Learn the inside story on the origins of swine flu and ways we can help prevent flu pandemics in the future.
The price of factory farmed meat doesn't reflect its true cost. This pandemic may be part of the price we're all paying for products from filthy industrial pig factories.
Pigs are often forced to live in huge warehouses, crammed together, awash in their own waste, and constantly stressed by their cruel treatment. These conditions provide a breeding ground for diseases that can then spread to people.
Flu shots and frequent handwashing can help protect you this flu season, but the best way to reduce the risk of future outbreaks may be to follow the advice of the American Public Health Association and declare "no more factory farms."
News & Events
September 6, 2011
In the film “Contagion,” opening in theaters September 9, a global pandemic is born when humans come into contact with an infected, slaughtered pig. Michael Greger, M.D., HSUS director of public health and animal agriculture, says there’s as much potential fact as fiction in the scenario, but his focus is on how, and where, such a virus is likely to be born.
December 11, 2009
Sick or injured pigs are routinely sent to slaughter, as shown in an HSUS undercover video.
November 30, 2009
Recent media reports of the 2009 H1N1 influenza (swine flu) virus cases in companion animals have many guardians concerned for the health of their pets.
September 22, 2009
Everything you need to know about avoiding swine flu you learned in kindegarten.
February 25, 2014
Local restaurant Peak City Grill announced it will be adding to its menu grass-fed beef from nearby Harris-Robinette Beef, a Pinetops, NC farm that raises all of its cattle exclusively on pasture.
February 19, 2014
Get a snapshot of The HSUS's advancements for farm animals over the last decade.
February 12, 2014
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has fined Illinois-based pork producer The Maschhoffs $10,000 for a spill of animal waste from one of its sow confinement operations in southeast Iowa.
February 11, 2014
Owner of Food Lion, Hannaford and Bottom Dollar Grocery Chains Asks for Animal Welfare Reports from Pork Suppliers Amid Growing Concerns
The country’s ninth-largest grocer, Delhaize America, announced that it will require its pork suppliers to produce reports regarding their progress in eliminating from their pork supply chains the use of gestation crates—cages used to house breeding pigs that are so restrictive, the animals can’t even turn around.