Contrary to rumours, there have so far been no reported cases of swine flu in Dufferin County, and the geographically nearest are one student at a high school in Georgetown and another in Barrie.

Swine flu is designated as H1N1, a sub-strain of Category A. Although this is the same designation as given to the Spanish flu that killed millions of people worldwide almost a century ago, there have been only two known deaths in North America, both in Texas.

As of yesterday, there were 165 confirmed cases across Canada. Symptoms in all of those save one were reported as mild. The exception was an unidentified girl in Alberta, where 220 hogs on a single farm had been diagnosed with the disease.

Unlike the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918-1920, the main effect of swine flu might turn out to be economic, according to the latest reports.

That effect is already being felt as China and 19 other countries have banned the import of Canadian pork, and Ottawa has moved to make it more difficult for migrant Mexican workers to come to Canada.

Farm Credit Canada says the 15,000 such workers are "a crucial source of manpower for fruit, vegetable and horticultural producers across the county."

It quotes Jean-Pierre Blackburn, the federal minister of state for agriculture, as saying two additional tests of the workers will be required before they can enter the country — and at least two physicians have been appointed in Mexico to oversee the testing.

It could not be immediately determined how many such workers are required by the vegetable plantations and apple orchards of Dufferin, but seasonal workers from Mexico and the Caribbean are a common presence here.

Economically, global trade in hogs and pork products is valued at about $26-billion. Canada is one of the largest exporters, along with the U.S. and Mexico.

Of the 20 countries banning pork imports, some have extended restrictions to poultry, livestock, feed and animal semen. Yesterday, it was reported that Egypt has ordered the slaughter of between 300,000 and 400,000 swine.

The World Health Organization appears to view the scenario as something of a pandemic of panic, and says the virus is airborne and being spread by humans, and not by consumption of pork products. The 220 pigs in the Alberta herd were infected by a farm worker returning from Mexico.

WHO does say, however, that precautions should be taken when handling live hogs. At WHO, Peter Ben Embarek is quoted as saying:

"Trading meat, whether processed or raw or frozen meat, should not be restricted because there is virtually no risk of transmission that way. You might have a risk with the live animals or when slaughtering it, but on the other side, as soon as you are dealing with the final product there is no big risk."

International Trade Minister Stockwell Day has been discussing the ban with Chinese officials. He says the ban is "an unacceptable and unwarranted action; our government will stand up and fight with hardworking hog farmers affected by these bans."