Thousands of pigs die from disease at one farm
06 April 2007NORTH CAROLINA - Thousands of pigs have died from a disease at one farm as Pitt County pork producers report a spike in the ailment caused by a virus.
Ronald Evans said 8,000 pigs at his farm died between August and March from porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome, which weakens the animal's resistance.
"It's been a very trying time," Evans said.
The disease is caused by a virus and costs the pork industry some $560 million annually, said a study published in 2005 in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medicine Association.
Determining the extent of the disease in North Carolina is difficult because the state doesn't track PRRS, said State Veterinarian Dr. David Marshall.
Other farmers in Pitt County have reported spikes in the disease, said agricultural extension agent Phillip Rowan.
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Source: Hendersonville News
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