In March 2009, a number of cases of an influenza-like illness and severe respiratory infections in humans were reported in parts of Mexico. These cases were later confirmed to be a strain of influenza A(H1N1), commonly referred to as swine flu and later called 2009 H1N1. By the end of April 2009, confirmed human cases of 2009 H1N1 infection were reported throughout Mexico, in parts of the United States, and in several countries worldwide. Reports of the outbreakcoupled with the use of the initial moniker swine fluinitially caused a downturn in domestic and international pork markets. Domestic pork demand and prices dropped sharply because of consumer fears that eating pork might result in infection. Several pork-importing countries also began to consider instituting trade bans and restrictions on live pig and pork imports from certain countries, including the United States. This initial reaction further rippled throughout pork and other agricultural markets, such as feed grain and other livestock markets, as market analysts attempted to speculate about the short- and long-term consequences of a decline in pork demand and prices. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) confirm that there is no evidence that the 2009 H1N1 virus is transmitted by food and that humans cannot get the illness from eating properly handled pork or pork products. Four global organizationsWHO, OIE, the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)also issued a joint statement that pork products handled in accordance with hygienic practices are not a source of infection. Also, in the United States, the CDC and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) report that there is no evidence at this time that pigs in the United States are infected with this virus strain. Administration officials and many in Congress are strongly urging U.S. trading partners to base any food safety measures on scientific evidence and to act in accordance with their international obligations under the World Trade Organization (WTO), OIE guidelines, and WTO member obligations under the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement. OIE, among other international organizations, has stated that there currently is no justification for imposing trade measures against the importation of pork and pork products. As some countries are continuing to pursue trade restrictions on North American pork products, some affected exporting countries are considering formal trade actions in the WTO. U.S. pork producers hope these efforts to avoid further negative effects on U.S. pork and other agricultural markets are successful. Initially, many market analysts predicted that the U.S. pork industry would be adversely affected by expected lower market prices from a decrease in consumer and export demand for U.S. pork products. The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) has sent a letter to USDA to request assistance for the U.S. pork industry to address the hog sector losses it asserts have been caused by consumer fears in response to the 2009 H1N1 outbreak. Members of Congress from districts with important meat sectors are likely to pay close attention to developments during 2009.