It’s time to play Name That Pandemic! With official Washington wondering what to call the virulent strain of flu causing panic around the globe, there’s clearly a vacuum.

[IMGCAP(1)]Officials fear that calling it “swine— flu will lead people erroneously to think they can contract it from pork products, and some have suggested the name is offensive to pig-shunning Muslims. But calling it the “Mexican— flu isn’t sitting well, so many government types have taken to using the clunky “H1N1.—

HOH, of course, abhors a vacuum (and a dusting rag, but that’s another story), so we bring you a few contests in which creative readers can help the U.S. brand that flu!

At Apocalypse Cakes, an eccentric pastry-focused blog (check out the photo of the bird flu cake), you can win a chocolate pig for submitting the best name.

And at kooky lefty politics site Irregular Times, the prize for the winning entry isn’t as tempting, but, hey, one can always settle for the glory.

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