Last week, six U.S. senators wrote a letter to the heads of the Senate and House Subcommittees on Agriculture, asking that the FY 2015 appropriations bill include funding for vaccinations against Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus (PEDv). Since the disease first emerged in April 2013, more than 6 million pigs have been killed in the U.S. The virus does not affect people.
PEDv has an almost 100% mortality rate for piglets under two weeks old. The economic costs to producers are staggering. Many producers could go out of business if the disease continues to spread at its current rate. Pork prices are rising quickly since the supply of pork is decreasing. In addition, another emerging disease called swine delta corona virus is killing pigs and affecting many of the same producers hurt by PEDv.
There is no currently licensed vaccine for PEDv, so funding for the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service and National Institute for food and Agriculture programs needs to be increased to research the illness and to develop a vaccine.
The letter was signed by Senators Kay Hagan (D-NC), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Al Franken (D-MN), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Joe Donnelly (D-IN) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). Franken, Hagan, and Stabenow have asked the USDA to investigate the problem, and to provide disaster relief for pork producers affected by the illness.
I could no longer support the meat industry after I saw this video: MeatVideo.com.