WASHINGTON, DC—Congresswomen Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), former chairwoman of the subcommittee responsible for funding the US Agriculture Department (USDA), released the following statement today commending USDA for requiring pork producers to report cases of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus (PEDv) and ensuring funds to combat the disease. The fast-spreading virus has killed nearly seven million pigs and piglets, an estimated 10 percent of the U.S. pig population.

“I applaud USDA for its critical, though long overdue actions. In the past year families have seen pork prices skyrocket and farmers have seen millions of pigs die. Yet no one can figure out the cause of this disease. The department in charge of protecting our nation’s food supply should not have taken a year to act. But I hope with resources finally being put in to monitoring PEDv, we will at long last be able to track the cause of this virus and stop it in its tracks.”