Oh, crap!

Via La Prensa (San Antonio, Texas):

Mexico City, Jun 26 (EFE).- Imports of live hogs from the United States have been restricted and inspectors are working to detect any cases of porcine epidemic diarrhea, or PED, in Mexico, the Agriculture Secretariat said.

Live hog imports are subject to a case-by-case review to ensure that health regulations are being followed, the secretariat said.

The National Food Health, Safety and Quality Service, or Senasica, has asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture, or USDA, to provide technical information about the PED outbreak and the measures being taken to keep the virus from spreading, the secretariat said.

The Senasica also asked the USDA to provide information about the actions taken to ensure exports are safe, the secretariat said.

The USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories, or NVSL, confirmed on May 17 that the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus was present in the United States.

The disease, however, is not one of the illnesses that must be reported to the World Organization for Animal Health, or OIE.

PED is spread by infected animals or contaminated equipment, the secretariat said.

Pork producers should take measures to ensure that biosafety procedures are being followed in their facilities, the secretariat said.

PED is quite similar to gastroenteritis, a common illness among hogs.

You can’t fault the Mexicans for erring on the side of caution when it comes to hog-related illnesses (remember this?):

 Mexico City, 24 April 2009

The H1N1 virus, allegedly arising from the Granjas Carrol de Mexico hog farm (population: 500,000 porkers) in La Gloria, Veracruz (population, 2,243 humans)

For those north of the border in hog producing states like Iowa and North Carolina… can you imagine what it’ll be like with those “containment ponds” if a half million hogs come down with diarrhea. OINK!