What inspires a kiss? Love, victory, passion, religious devotion, sad farewell... What doesn't? Swine flu.

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French government has begun encouraging citizens to forgo "la bise", their traditional cheek-to-cheek kiss, for health reasons. Swine flu has infected well over 1 million people in the United States; 52,000 confirmed cases across 48 countries in Europe; Mexico could see up to 5 million cases of swine flu during this winter's flu season

It goes without saying that France is a land that puts a certain value on kissing.
The future of French kissing? French President Nicolas Sarkozy keeps his distance with a kiss and a wave. Hands get shaken; hands get kissed. And the light cheek-to-cheek peck, known as "la bise," is a social greeting, woven in at the very youngest age. Some observes joke that before the French could ever give up such social graces, pigs would fly.
But then ... swine flu.
With official publicity campaigns about the H1N1 virus, to directives on avoiding practically any close encounter of the corporal kind, the country has been put on alert as the flu season gets under way.

In schools, teachers are telling their young charges to forgo the bise, and instead capture their displays of affection in heart-shaped greetings to slip into "bise boxes."

New flu hit estimated 10 percent of New Yorkers

Swine flu has infected well over 1 million people in the United States, and is now the CDC's No. 1 priority. Other research also shows that older children and young adults are by far the most likely to be infected with the new virus.

Swine Flu That Resists Tamiflu Is Harder to Spread, WHO Says

There have been more than 52,000 confirmed cases across 48 countries in Europe, including at least 140 deaths, Mercer said. Almost 90 percent of the deaths occurred in the U.K., Spain and Israel, he said.

Mexico says millions of swine flu cases possible

Mexico could see up to 5 million cases of swine flu during this winter's flu season.

Pig herd catches human swine flu

Pig herd catches human swine flu, the first European case of swine flu in pigs.

Swine Flu Vaccine not necessary and not healthy

But the stress in Blaybock's report on the mercola.com, is that the Swine Flu vaccine has serious problems with long term potential consequences that far outweigh the benefits. Pretty scary stuff and worthy of checking out as we start the season.

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