Swine are pigs. Pigs are swine. Swine flu is the name of any number of influenza illnesses that pigs may experience. Occasionally, these illnesses are transmittable to humans.
The human outbreak of “swine flu” that most people remember happened at Fort Dix, N.J. in 1976. About 230 people contracted the disease, with 13 being hospitalized. One person died. The outbreak did not spread beyond the area.
The Federal Government, and the various public health agencies here and abroad, reacted swiftly to the outbreak. A vaccine was developed and approved and placed into use. Unfortunately, thousands of people reported serious side effects to the vaccine, and its use was discontinued.