MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Swine flu: Lula da Silva calls for caution and responsibility from the media

The Brazilian president said “we are facing a moment of caution and prevention, and let us not play terrorism”.

Brazilian president Lula da Silva called on Wednesday for “caution” when dealing with the swine flu information and “let us not play terrorism” with the disease. He underlined that Brazil “was prepared” to face such a challenge.

“We have the necessary medicines for our people and we are doing the right checking at international airports and sea terminals”, said Lula da Silva previous to his meeting with his Peruvian counterpart Alan García.

The Brazilian president said “we are facing a moment of caution and prevention, and let us not play terrorism”. He called on the media for “responsibility” so as not to create panic among the population.

So far Brazil has some twenty suspect cases in several states, but none have been confirmed. The Brazilian population is estimated in 180 million.

In related news the Brazilian pork industry requested from the World Health Organization to cease identifying the deadly outbreak in Mexico as “swine flu” because the name is having a negative impact on the whole industry and there’s no scientific evidence to prove such is the case.

The name “swine flu” has triggered fears that the infection can originate in the consumption of pork and sub products, which has been denied point blank by WHO authorities, but has not impeded Russia and China to ban the import of pork from those countries where the flu has been confirmed.