New virus sweeps country - has wiped out more than 10% of America's pig population with no end in sight

It struck suddenly, last May, at a hog farm in Ohio. Now, a year later, it has spread to 30 states around the United States, wiping out 10 percent of the U.S. pig population. The virus, known as porcine epidemic diarrhea virus, or PEDv, targets the lining of a pig’s small intestine, causing extreme diarrhea. It’s highly contagious, extremely potent (a tablespoon of PEDv is enough to wipe out the entire U.S. hog herd) and spreads by contact with infected manure or feed. Nearly every pig infected will die – it has already killed 7 million of America’s 63 million pigs sending pork prices through the roof.

New virus sweeps country - has wiped out more than 10% of America's pig population with no end in sight