A PETA protester holds up a sign

With concern growing in the city over a swine flu virus, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India wants everyone to know that there’s a simple way to prevent such outbreaks even before they occur and that is to adopt a vegan diet.

To spread the message, PETA India is organising a demonstration on Wednesday outside Ruby Hall Clinic featuring a protester wearing a pig costume and nurses holding placards that will read, “Prescription for Swine Flu: Go Vegan”.

According to the group, while simple, common-sense measures such as washing hands regularily and covering nose and mouth while sneezing are important, going vegan gets to the root of the matter by reducing the demand for meat production.

Nikunj Sharma, senior campaigns coordinator, PETA, said, “Animals on factory farms are crammed by the thousands into filthy, extremely crowded sheds, and they are slaughtered on killing floors that are contaminated with faeces, vomit and other bodily fluids.

These conditions have led to a rise in food-borne pathogens such as E. coli, campylobacter, salmonella, listeria and other bacteria that originate in animals’ intestinal tracts and faeces.

As their names imply, swine flu and avian flu come from pigs and birds, and the viruses that cause them often mutate into pathogens that can afflict humans.”

He continued, “Because of the filthy and stressful conditions on factory farms around the world, pigs and other animals are fed a steady diet of antibiotics.

However, these antibiotics are only temporarily effective against bacteria, and they are completely useless against viruses such as the swine flu virus.

And the problem is not restricted to pigs: factory-farmed cows and chickens, who also live in crowded and unsanitary conditions, can contract and spread influenza viruses and other similar viruses.”

“Meat is directly linked to heart disease, diabetes and certain types of cancer, and disease-breeding factory farms could be the death of us all. The best way to protect our health – individually and globally – is to go vegan.” added Nikunj