Rating:

0.0 (0 votes)

The latest government survey has found that one in five U.S. children had a flu-like illness earlier this month, and most of those cases likely were the H1N1 flu.

A federal health official announced the findings Wednesday at a medical meeting in Atlanta. The information comes from a household survey of more than 10,000 adults done in the first 11 days of October.

Overall, the survey found that seven percent of the surveyed adults said they had a flu-like illness in the past week.

Federal officials have warned promoters of more than 140 products sold over the Internet about fraudulent claims that they can prevent, treat or diagnose swine flu. Bogus products include devices and sprays that claim to sterilize the air or surfaces, and dietary supplements claiming to boost the immune system. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it even has found fake Tamiflu being sold online without a prescription. Officials say the problem has grown in recent weeks as vaccine is delayed and real Tamiflu continues to be reserved for only the sickest flu patients.

Meanwhile, the H1N1 or swine flu as it is commonly called is creating problems for the pork industry.

Experts testifying to Congress say the pork industry is facing one of its worst struggles in memory and that an unwanted link to swine flu is exacerbating problems.

National Pork Producers Council President Don Butler and other industry experts testified to a House Agriculture subcommittee on Thursday.

Butler says media labeling the H1N1 flu virus as "swine flu" caused a short-term reduction in pork prices and that research by the pork industry has shown a lasting negative connotation for some consumers. He says the flu outbreak has also hit producers in export markets, which were a bright spot before bans from several key markets were put in place.