Health and agricultural officials agree, pigs have much more to fear from people humans than the other way around. Pigs, it turns out, can contract the virus from infected humans.

“We’re trying to minimize human traffic into our hog operation so our hogs do not get the disease from humans, which is probably a little bit of a twist from what most people have heard about,” said Elwyn Fitzke, a pork producer in Glenvil, Neb.

“This is a very big concern for us,” he added.

The National Pork Board sent an advisory counseling pork producers to implement what it called “biosecurity practices” — not to protect visitors, but to protect pigs.

Among the recommendations: Ban or limit outside visitors, double-check facilities’ ventilation and vaccinate all workers against seasonal flu viruses, so they don’t get sick and potentially weaken the pigs’ immune systems.

Let’s keep our priorities straight.

Thanks, Helen