Unclear if incidence of killer piglet virus has peaked: USDA

[May 01, 2014]   WASHINGTON (Reuters) — It is unclear whether the incidence of a deadly virus that has killed some 7 million piglets in the United States over the past year has peaked, the Department of Agriculture's chief economist said on Wednesday.

"To say whether it has peaked or not — I don't know," USDA's Joseph Glauber told reporters after testifying at a House Agriculture Committee hearing on the livestock industry.

USDA is still working with state agencies and industry groups on details of the mandatory reporting protocols for the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) that were announced on April 18, Glauber said.

(Reporting by Ros Krasny; editing by Eric Beech)

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