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Omaha Steve

(99,708 posts) Wed Jul 10, 2013, 07:14 PM Jul 2013

Pig virus migrates to U.S., threatens pork prices

Source: Omaha World Herald-AP

DENVER (AP) — Pork prices may be on the rise in the next few months because of a new virus that has migrated to the U.S, killing piglets in 15 states at an alarming rate in facilities where it has been reported.

Dr. Nick Striegel, assistant state veterinarian for the Colorado Department of Agriculture, said Wednesday the Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus, also known as PED, was thought to exist only in Europe and China, but Colorado and 14 other states began reporting the virus in April, and officials confirmed its presence in May. The virus causes severe diarrhea, vomiting and severe dehydration in pigs, and can be fatal.

"It has been devastating for those producers where it has been diagnosed. It affects nursing pigs, and in some places, there has been 100 percent mortality," he said.

Striegel said the disease is not harmful to humans, and there is no evidence it affects pork products.

FULL story at link.

Read more: http://www.omaha.com/article/20130710/NEWS/130719910/1707#pig-virus-migrates-to-u-s-threatens-pork-prices

15 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Pig virus migrates to U.S., threatens pork prices (Original Post) Omaha Steve Jul 2013 OP

This reeks of... BornLooser Jul 2013 #1

Maybe they'll see the flaws in their factory farming model Warpy Jul 2013 #2

May be on the rise? William769 Jul 2013 #3

I wonder if it arrived he during the Smithfield purchase negotiations. politicat Jul 2013 #4

You get 'post of the day' honors! n/t Divine Discontent Jul 2013 #5

dood cATCH DainBramaged Jul 2013 #7

Plus, China has lost massive numbers of their own hogs to disease NickB79 Jul 2013 #13

To the same virus. politicat Jul 2013 #15

As long as the virus migrated to the U.S. rocktivity Jul 2013 #6

"in some places, there has been 100% mortality" pasto76 Jul 2013 #8

There is a difference between the... rexcat Jul 2013 #9

If one farm loses half their piglets NickB79 Jul 2013 #12

Don't worry - this will soon be handled with the same loving care as BSE is ... Nihil Jul 2013 #10

factory farms.Cleanliness is next to godliness Sunlei Jul 2013 #11

I'm glad we decided to raise our own again this year. PotatoChip Jul 2013 #14

BornLooser

(106 posts)

1. This reeks of...

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Wed Jul 10, 2013, 07:22 PM

Jul 2013

I'm not talking about the pigs, I'm talking about the swine.

Warpy

(111,339 posts)

2. Maybe they'll see the flaws in their factory farming model

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Wed Jul 10, 2013, 07:33 PM

Jul 2013

Pigs are packed together so tightly that any virus is going to speed through the whole operation practically overnight.

William769

(55,147 posts)

3. May be on the rise?

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Wed Jul 10, 2013, 07:51 PM

Jul 2013

I'm paying $5.00 a pound now for bacon!

politicat

(9,808 posts)

4. I wonder if it arrived he during the Smithfield purchase negotiations.

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Wed Jul 10, 2013, 08:13 PM

Jul 2013

The timing is about right. And explains why China wanted to own an American hog interest.

Divine Discontent

(21,056 posts)

5. You get 'post of the day' honors! n/t

Reply to politicat (Reply #4)

Wed Jul 10, 2013, 08:33 PM

Jul 2013

DainBramaged

(39,191 posts)

7. dood cATCH

Reply to politicat (Reply #4)

Wed Jul 10, 2013, 08:37 PM

Jul 2013

NickB79

(19,258 posts)

13. Plus, China has lost massive numbers of their own hogs to disease

Reply to politicat (Reply #4)

Thu Jul 11, 2013, 06:28 PM

Jul 2013

http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/13/world/asia/pigs-china-river

politicat

(9,808 posts)

15. To the same virus.

Reply to NickB79 (Reply #13)

Thu Jul 11, 2013, 07:38 PM

Jul 2013

I would bet that the contamination was unintentional -- China is still more concerned with keeping their own people fed than waging nutritional war. The US has a higher margin of error when it comes to feeding ourselves -- more cropland per capita, fewer people over all and higher productivity in terms of calories per hectare. Our worst case is a functional ration where we're all closer to vegetarian and meat depends on neighborhood level fowl, goats and sheep and pastured cattle. Their worst case is a lot closer to a malnutrition ration because they really lack pasture land and their meat supply is far more hog oriented than ours.

Pig shit sticks to everything -- even if you think you got your shoes clean, it doesn't take much.

This reminds me of the 1854 Broad Street Cholera epidemic. Even the virus reminds me of cholera.

rocktivity

(44,577 posts)

6. As long as the virus migrated to the U.S.

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Wed Jul 10, 2013, 08:33 PM

Jul 2013

Last edited Thu Jul 11, 2013, 09:23 AM - Edit history (1)

legally...

rocktivity

pasto76

(1,589 posts)

8. "in some places, there has been 100% mortality"

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Wed Jul 10, 2013, 09:41 PM

Jul 2013

love bullshit like that. It either has 100% mortality, or it does not. 'in some places' is pure drama

rexcat

(3,622 posts)

9. There is a difference between the...

Reply to pasto76 (Reply #8)

Wed Jul 10, 2013, 10:09 PM

Jul 2013

overall mortality rate vs. the mortality rate at a given farm. "Pure drama" probably not!

NickB79

(19,258 posts)

12. If one farm loses half their piglets

Reply to pasto76 (Reply #8)

Thu Jul 11, 2013, 06:24 PM

Jul 2013

And another farm a few miles down the road loses ALL of their piglets, then yes, you can have a range of mortalities.

All pigs do not exist in one massive superfarm, ya know.

Nihil

(13,508 posts)

10. Don't worry - this will soon be handled with the same loving care as BSE is ...

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Thu Jul 11, 2013, 09:16 AM

Jul 2013

i.e., ban farmers from proving that their herd is clean, eliminate oversight of factory farms,
outlaw anyone attempting to publicise the truth and pretend that it "simply doesn't happen
in America" ...

Can't allow *anything* to damage those profits folks!

Sunlei

(22,651 posts)

11. factory farms.Cleanliness is next to godliness

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Thu Jul 11, 2013, 05:02 PM

Jul 2013

PotatoChip

(3,186 posts)

14. I'm glad we decided to raise our own again this year.

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Thu Jul 11, 2013, 06:56 PM

Jul 2013

The prices will most likely be going up.

I'm not much of a pork fan, but the SO is.

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