E-mail
Print
wxin-pig-farm-h1n1-110309
Health officials confirmed on Tuesday a hog farm in Indiana tested positive for the H1N1 strain.
Alan Wilhoite has been farming in Boone County since he was a kid and it's been his livelihood for the last 30 years. Now it's also his sons.
"It's a very noble work; we are producing food to feed the entire world."
That food comes from hogs, 600 of them on his farm. Wilhoite is one of many in Indiana. The Hoosier state is the nation's fifth largest pork producer. Lately, business hasn't been so good for the industry since the outbreak of the H1N1 also known as the swine flu.
"Our losses industry wide are amounting to $5 dollars."
On the Wilhoite farm, profits are off about 40 percent. And it's all based on unfounded fears according to health experts with the USDA and Department of Agriculture. The influenza strain cannot be passed to humans through pork. Today, health officials confirmed that a swine herd in Indiana tested positive for H1N1...ironically, spread to the now-recovered hogs from human contact.
Local and federal health officials have been reluctant to identify where the farm is, but Wilhoite's sources tell him it's in south central Indiana.
It leaves him and the whole industry re-engaging in the familiar public relations battle.
"Just like in humans, the pigs get sick, they recover from it, then they're able to move into the food system perfectly safe."
If there is concern about pork, you can't tell it by sales taken during the lunch hour at Parky's Smokehouse in Lebanon.
Down on the farm, Alan Wilhoite hopes that bodes well for his industry. Regardless the toll's already been taken.
Alan Wilhoite has been farming in Boone County since he was a kid and it's been his livelihood for the last 30 years. Now it's also his sons.
"It's a very noble work; we are producing food to feed the entire world."
That food comes from hogs, 600 of them on his farm. Wilhoite is one of many in Indiana. The Hoosier state is the nation's fifth largest pork producer. Lately, business hasn't been so good for the industry since the outbreak of the H1N1 also known as the swine flu.
"Our losses industry wide are amounting to $5 dollars."
On the Wilhoite farm, profits are off about 40 percent. And it's all based on unfounded fears according to health experts with the USDA and Department of Agriculture. The influenza strain cannot be passed to humans through pork. Today, health officials confirmed that a swine herd in Indiana tested positive for H1N1...ironically, spread to the now-recovered hogs from human contact.
Local and federal health officials have been reluctant to identify where the farm is, but Wilhoite's sources tell him it's in south central Indiana.
It leaves him and the whole industry re-engaging in the familiar public relations battle.
"Just like in humans, the pigs get sick, they recover from it, then they're able to move into the food system perfectly safe."
If there is concern about pork, you can't tell it by sales taken during the lunch hour at Parky's Smokehouse in Lebanon.
Down on the farm, Alan Wilhoite hopes that bodes well for his industry. Regardless the toll's already been taken.
Digg
Twitter
Facebook
StumbleUpon
Get FREE Fox59 Breaking News text alerts sent to your mobile phone.*
