this post was submitted on 23 Jul 2024
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99% of humans have the complete opposite reaction when the animal in question is a mosquito.
Mosquitos are almost parasites and are vectors for disease. It’s a pretty different relationship we have with them.
Well, let's unpack this thought then.
Pigs (you know, the animal that bacon actually comes from) mostly live off of human waste (aka garbage). They are the origin of the H1N1 virus (also known as the flu) and when not contained they are considered absolute pests.
How are they different than mosquitos again?
Not sure if you are arguing for or against pig farming. I’m against mosquito farming btw.
Wait, you don't want to come to my mosquito farm and pet the skeeters???
You can even play with the baby skeeters in the huge brackish water pond in the back! It's completely free of predators!
I appreciate the humor but I think your initial comparison is pretty bad.
Wild pigs don’t depend on waste from humans. They’re invasive to the Americas, sure, but there is a huge difference between hunting an invasive species that is wreaking havoc in the ecosystem (and possibly going through your “waste”) versus raising domesticated pigs in abysmal conditions — and all other associated negative consequences — for a market with inflated demand.
Also, the issue with H1N1 is, again, mostly due to farming.
So, no, pigs inherently aren’t “almost parasites” and although they can get diseases, like all animals, the threat of transmitting those diseases to humans come from farming practices.
Mosquitoes are consequential and our relationship with pigs is largely voluntary. The difference is enormous.