Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles Bronson last week asked folks to stop giving pork a bad rap by calling the H1N1 virus “swine flu” because of the devastating impact it’s having on the pork industry.

But the threat of spreading the virus between pigs and people is a real threat, according to yesterday’s New York Times.

Not in the way most might think, however.

Vets fear that humans will spread the virus to the animals and are instituting precautions at state fairs and other places where the porcine creatures come into contact with those higher up on the food chain.

“When the Oregon State Fair opens next week, the pigs will be kept behind an elaborate configuration of plastic and ribbon barriers, taller-than-usual fences and off-limits walkways. The state veterinarian is also urging visitors to stay six feet away.

The worry? The spread of swine flu, but with a twist: state officials hope to insulate the pigs from sick people.

‘Help us protect the piggies,’ signs at the fair will read in pink,” the story begins.

“The whole idea of the animals getting sick from people is a foreign concept to people, but that’s what we’re looking at here,” said Iowa state veterinarian David E. Marshall said in the story.

Pork producers are being devastated by the H1N1 pandemic, commonly known as “swine flu,” which is responsible for the deaths of 59 deaths in Florida, including five in Palm Beach County.

Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles Bronson wants officials to quit using the term “swine flu” to get the public to separate the virus, unrelated to the consumption of meat, from things like pork chops.

“It is unfortunate that pork producers and processors have been impacted so negatively by the inaccurate characterization of this virus,” Bronson said in a press release issued today. “But the fact is there have been no detections of swine flu in any swine herds in this country, and people cannot get this flu from eating pork.”

The virus is continuing to spread and health officials fear it a resurgence of it as schools re-open after the summer break. Gov. Charlie Crist traveled around the state this week to warn school officials to heed safety precautions, including frequent hand washing.

A 12-year-old Palm Beach County girl died yesterday from complications from the virus.

Gov. Charlie Crist and state Surgeon General Ana Viamonte Ros will embark on a two-day tour of the state on Thursday to remind parents to be mindful of the H1N1 virus as their children return to school. Details of where the duo were heading was not immediately available.

“We just want to remind our fellow floridians and parents to be mindful, to utilize common sense and follow the recommendation of our surgeon general,” Crist said.

There have been 6,506 hospitalized cases of the swine flu in the United State and 436 deaths. A state Health Department spokeswoman said up-to-date state information will be available this afternoon.

Listen to Crist and Viamonte Ros take a few questions this morning.

Also, click here for the state Health Department’s collection of H1N1 info.

U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Tequesta, has weighed in on the quarantining of six Palm Beach County residents in China because of swine flu concerns.

West Palm Beach accountant John Yeend was diagnosed with swine flu while traveling in China. His two traveling companions were also quarantined. Three seemingly healthy North Palm Beach teens are also being quarantined because someone on their flight into China tested positive for the disease.

Rooney’s statement: “I, along with my colleagues from Florida, have been in contact with the State Department and the U.S. Embassy in Beijing to work to get these travelers back home as soon as possible.

“I urge anyone planning on traveling to China this summer to use caution and be aware of the strict quarantine procedures the Chinese government has instituted. Upon arrival in China travelers will be forced to go through thermal-scanning checkpoints. If a traveler on an arriving flight is suspected of having contracted H1N1, all passengers and crew on the flight are subject to possible quarantine in local hospitals or hotels. All travelers should heed State Department advisories and contact the American Embassy or Consulate if there are any problems.”

Florida has sent eight suspected cases of swine flu to the Centers for Disease Control for testing, include at least one from Palm Beach County, Gov. Charlie Crist said this morning.

Florida still has no confirmed cases of the virus, Crist said. And all eight suspected cases are “mild.”

“They are mild cases, as they are in most of the cases in the United State,” Crist said.

The state is hoping to receive the test results today or tomorrow. The other suspected cases are from Broward, Alachua, Lee, Orange and Pinellas.

To deal with a potential outbreak, the state has sent protective gear, including masks, to hospitals and clinics, and has stockpiled about 500,000 doses of anti-virals.

Viamonte-Ros urged Floridians to use “common sense,” such as coughing or sneezing into arms instead of hands, washing hands and staying home from work or school if they feel sick.

“Right now, with the diseases we’ve seen in our community, we feel confident we’re able to provide all the providers and hospitals with the medications they need,” she said.

Residents wear surgical masks as they exit the subway today in Mexico City. Mexico's government is trying to stem the spread of a deadly strain of swine flu, urging people to stay home if they have any symptoms of the virus believed to have killed more than 100 people. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

Florida has no reported cases of the swine flu, but state health officials are prepared, Gov. Charlie Crist said this morning.

“Florida is ready,” Crist said.

Crist received a briefing this morning from Florida Surgeon General Ana Viamonte Ros. Crist said he will be updated every morning this week.

“The surgeon general gave me a very good report … that the cases reported in the United States – in other states – have been very mild in nature and so far have not required treatment in order to be handled,” Crist said. “But we’re going to stay on top of it.”