# 5175
If you were tasked with finding a medical reporter with a better understanding of influenza than Helen Branswell . . . well, you’d be searching a long, long time. Ms. Branswell heads a very short list of truly excellent reporters in that field.
Helen is a long time medical correspondent for the Canadian Press, and is currently a Nieman Fellow for Global Health Reporting at Harvard University.
This week, Helen has a feature article that looks at pig farms as incubators of influenza in the January edition of Scientific American, called Flu Factories.
If you have a subscription (there is a free synopsis), you can read the article online at:
Flu Factories
The next pandemic virus may be circulating on U.S. pig farms, but health officials are struggling to see past the front gate
By Helen Branswell | December 27, 2011
I am very happy to report that SciAm also has a freely available 15 minute audio interview with Helen, as well.
How You Gonna Keep Flu Down on the Farm?: Pig Farms and Public Health
Journalist Helen Branswell discusses her January Scientific American article, "Flu Factories," about the attempts to monitor new strains of flu that can originate on pig farms and the difficulties of balancing economic and public health constituencies.
Both the article, and the podcast, are highly recommended.
