Why does the media use the phrase 'swine flu'?

[padanarm]

Why does the media use the phrase 'swine flu'?

Surely, if we used everyday words, it should be 'pig flu' or 'procine influenza'?

[stewey]

The media tends to use words that have more impact, negative if possible, on the public. For example, if soldiers are killed in action they are 'slain' or 'slaughtered' not merely killed in action. Just a thought.

[TCL-MUMPING]

Would you say porcine was an everyday word? As for pig and swine, pigs are swine but not all swine are pigs.

[heathfield]

For some strange reason, certain folk in Israel want to call it ''Mexican Flu''.

[Graham-W]

The Israelis want to call it "Mexican 'flu" because that's where the index case was found, much like "Spanish 'flu" in 1918-1919.
The Americans more frequently use the word "swine" when referring to what we would call pigs. Hence "Swine 'flu".

[Andyvon]

Don't the Americans use the word 'hogs' more? I love that word by the way - it's far better than pigs.

Anyway, why are we bothering with a prefix? They did this with 'Chicken flu'. Isn't this just yet another strain of influenza which mutates every year in it's biological war with modern medicine? We have different strains that do the rounds every year and they all kill large numbers of people around the globe. Most people just sniffle, sneeze and feel rotten until they've fought that particular strain off and are ready for the next. It'll be the same with this one.

[abstibus]

If they called it 'scum flu', nobody would have it. Problem solved.