It may be called (swine) flu around the world, but a senior Israeli official on Monday changed the term in order not to pronounce the name of the animal whose meat is banned by Judaism.
"We will use the term Mexican flu (in order) not (to) have to pronounce the word swine," said Deputy Health Minister Yakov Litzman of the ultra-religious United Torah Judaism party.
Eating pork is prohibited by Judaism, the religion (practised) by the majority of Israelis. Islam, adhered to by most of Israel's Arab minority, likewise bans the consumption of pork.
\Israel has yet to confirm a case of the swine flu (epidemic) that is believed to have killed more than 100 people in Mexico and has spread to the United States and Europe.
A 26-year-old Israeli man who returned from Mexico last Friday has been hospitalised and authorities are waiting for test results to (determine) whether he has contracted the potentially deadly strain that the World Health Organisation has warned could reach pandemic proportions.
Another man who had recently returned from Mexico was quarantined on Monday after checking himself into a hospital in the centre of the country complaining of a (sore) throat, officials said.
The World Organisation for Animal Health said on Monday that the name swine flu is a misnomer as the (deadly) virus has origins among birds and humans as well as pigs.
Question)
1. What's the difference between swine flu and Mexican flu?
2. How does the flu affect the economy and our life?
