THE National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM) said it plans to

change the official name of swine flu to H1N1 to avoid potentially

serious repercussions on the country’s pork industry. The flu that

broke out in Mexico has not been detected in Cambodia, said Pao Samy,

secretary general of NCDM on Tuesday. He said that the flu spreads in

cold weather, rather than hot climates like Cambodia. Sok Touch,

director of the Health Ministry’s Department of Communicable Disease,

said Tuesday that the government would use the new name from now on.

“The virus did not originate from pigs, so if we use the term ‘swine

flu’, it will have a serious impact on the pig business in Cambodia.”

He said that health officials are on alert to strengthen disease

tracking and preparedness.