Hog farmers still battling a disease that has caused over a billion dollars in damages are coming to better understand how the virus arrived in North America.
The Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea, or PED, outbreak began in spring 2013 and evidence suggests the virus originated in China. Its global spread was a mystery, but some veterinarians saw a possible link to feed. Now, researcher Scott Dee says he’s shown imported ingredients may have given the virus a ride here from China.
"Contaminated feed ingredients, if they're the right ones, could have certainly supported virus survival throughout this entire 37-day trip," Dee says.
Dee says he hopes his findings will lead to more research on animal diseases that have not yet arrived here from other continents.
