The rebranding of 'swine flu'

Some government officials have started referring to swine flu by its scientific name H1N1 virus, possibly as a result of lobbying by the pork and agriculture groups, reports The Wall Street Journal.

Pork prices have slumped in recent days as countries like Russia and China have restricted imported pork from the US.

Richard Besser, acting director of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), told the WSJ that "the agency's use of the swine flu label was fueling the misconception that people could catch the new respiratory disease from food."

The outbreak has also been called the Mexican flu and the North American influenza, although it seems the CDC is continuing to refer to the outbreak as swine influenza.