HJ0073 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HJ0073 LRB096 14614 ASK 29522 r

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, 2009 H1N1 Novel Pandemic influenza, the illness commonly referred to as "Swine Flu", is a combination of human and animal strains of the influenza virus; and

WHEREAS, The 2009 H1N1 influenza virus is a human influenza virus that is spread from human to human; and

WHEREAS, The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) indicates that the 2009 H1N1 influenza currently circulating among humans is a "novel" flu strain, with a genetic makeup that is unique and has not been seen before in humans, birds, or pigs; and

WHEREAS, Since last spring and the onset of the 2009 H1N1 influenza outbreak in humans, the USDA has consistently asked the media to stop calling this "novel" pandemic virus "swine flu"; and

WHEREAS, The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have both pledged to cease using the term "Swine Flu"; and

WHEREAS, According to the CDC and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), human beings cannot contract H1N1 influenza from eating pork products; and

WHEREAS, Pork production is a major component of Illinois' agriculture industry, with cash receipts from farm marketings totaling approximately $800 million in 2007; and

WHEREAS, Illinois ranks fourth in the nation in the number of hogs and pigs on farms; and

WHEREAS, U.S. hog farmers have lost almost $4.6 billion since September 2007 as feed prices rose to a record high last year and the recession and the H1N1 influenza outbreak curbed pork demand in 2009; and

WHEREAS, By continuing to mislabel the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus that is affecting human populations around the world, the media is causing undue and undeserved harm to America's agriculture industry, especially pork producers; and

WHEREAS, Continued use of the term "Swine Flu" is damaging to Illinois' pork industry, as well as the State as a whole; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we urge all State agencies, their representatives, and all private media outlets to cease using the term "Swine Flu" and further urge them to use the term "2009 H1N1 Influenza" in its place; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the Governor, the Director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture, and the Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health.