National & World Ag News Headlines Study Shows Feral Pig Exposure to Nasty Bacteria USAgNet - 04/13/2012 A North Carolina State University study shows that, for the first time since testing began several years ago, feral pigs in North Carolina have tested positive for Brucella suis, an important and harmful bacteria that can be transmitted to people. The bacteria are transmitted to humans by unsafe butchering and consumption of undercooked meat. Clinical signs of brucellosis, the disease caused by the bacteria, in people are fairly non-specific and include persistent flu-like symptoms. The bacteria can also spread in pig populations, causing abortions in affected swine. In a study conducted to test N.C. feral pig populations for several types of bacteria and viruses, about 9 percent of feral pigs studied in Johnston County and less than 1 percent of feral pigs surveyed randomly at 13 other sites across the state showed exposure to B. suis. Dr. Chris DePerno, associate professor of forestry and environmental resources at NC State and the corresponding author of a paper describing the research, says the results are troubling for people who hunt feral pigs for sport or food. "Now that exposure to Brucella suis has been found in North Carolina's feral pig populations, people need to take care when hunting, butchering and cooking feral pigs," DePerno says. "That means wearing gloves when field dressing feral pigs and cooking the meat to the proper temperature." Dr. Suzanne Kennedy-Stoskopf, an NC State research professor of wildlife infectious diseases and a co-author of the paper, says that testing positive for antibodies to B. suis means the feral pigs have been exposed to and mounted an immune response against the bacteria. Antibodies do not eliminate B. suis from pigs, so the animals are considered infected and capable of transmitting the bacteria to other pigs and people. She adds that control and eradication programs introduced in the late 1990s eliminated swine brucellosis from all commercial pig populations in the United States. Feral pig populations are exploding across the country, DePerno says. Besides the rabbit-like reproductive proclivity of feral pigs, people are partially responsible for the population boom. There is strong evidence that humans have transported feral pigs into new areas for hunting. Feral pigs can be destructive to the environment and can outcompete native animals. They dig, root and tear up crop lands; eat just about anything; and can spread disease to animals and people. Send this article to a friend Other National Headlines Stricter Country-of-Origin Labels on Meat Imposed Senate Farm Bill Floor Consideration Begins House Ag Holds First Hearing in Process of CFTC Reauthorization Global Seed Treatment Market to Reach $4.45 Billion by 2018 Monsanto Launches Online Insect Forecasting Tool Johanns Offers, Cosponsors Amendments to Improve Farm Bill Wisconsin Raw Milk Trial to Continue into Next Week Copyright © 2013 - USAgNet.com. All Rights Reserved.