An Israeli health official says the outbreak of swine flu should be renamed “Mexican” influenza in deference to Muslim and Jewish sensitivities over pork.

Deputy Health Minister Yakov Litzman said yesterday the reference to pigs is offensive to both religions and “we should call this Mexican flu and not swine flu.”

Both Judaism and Islam consider pigs unclean and forbid the eating of pork products.

Scientists are unsure where the new swine flu virus originally emerged. They say there is nothing about the virus that makes it “Mexican” and worry such a label would be stigmatizing.