Brazil Halts U.S. Live Pigs, Genetics over PEDv Concerns

Apr 03, 2014

Brazil’s pork industry successfully lobbied its government to put a temporary ban on imports of live breeding pigs, genetics and plasma from the United States.

The request was made after the Brazilian pork industry decided that the U.S. posed too high of a risk of infecting its pig herds with the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv).

Cases of the pig virus have been growing rapidly in the U.S. since last May. Earlier this year the virus spread to Canada, where they are now dealing with the highly contagious pig illness in three provinces.

Officials in Brazil say that a ban has been put in place as a preventive measure. The ban is expected to only be temporary.

Brazil is in the midst of developing biosecurity plans in the event that the virus arrives in that country.

Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.