Modern Pig Agribusiness Causes Human Neurological Disorder

by Heidi Stevenson

14 December 2009

Although it's being described in mundane terms, a new Lancet report documents that the new neurological disease of pig slaughterhouse workers is caused by the process of modern agribusiness. It's described as the result of an immunological response to aerosolized pig brains. The real question is why this situation is being minimized. The answer is found in Agribusiness's protection of profits.

The Disorder

As reported in New Neurological Disease Found in Pig Workers, the disease called Immune Polyradiculoneuropathy (IPR) causes a range of symptoms remarkably similar to other neurological disorders, such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), mad cow, and multiple sclerosis, including pain, weakness, and fatigue. IPR is also like them in having no known medical treatment, other than for symptoms.

Although the disorder was originally noted as being limited to only one abattoir, it has since been noted to have occurred at other pig processing plants. It happens when workers who use tools that cause a fine mist of pig brains to be spread through the air—aerosolized—breath that mist. Because nasal air passages pass by tissues that are adjacent to the brain, these tiny brain bits pass through membranes and are seen by the autoimmune system as invaders. Antibodies are developed to fight these invaders. The problem is that these bits of tissue are so much like neurological tissue in the human body that the antibodies attack their own body's neurons.

The Lancet report, unfortunately, stops short of calling the new disease mad cow or CJD, though its symptoms are quite similar. In fact, the disorder was noted as far back as 1979 and described as being similar to spongiform encephalopathies. Mad cow disease and CJD are forms of this group of diseases.

History of Pig Neurological Disorders

In 1978, Dr. Masuo Doi, a veterinarian saw a number of diseased hogs arrive at the Tobin Packing Plant in New York. His description of the symptoms was: "Excitable or nervous temperament to external stimuli such as touch to the skin, handling and menacing approach to the animals is a common characteristic sign among swine affected with the disease." Doi sent brain samples to the head pathologist of USDA's Eastern Laboratory in Athens, Georgia. They were described as being similar to other spongiform encephalopathies, specifically those of sheep and mink.

The Connection Between the Study and Pig Agribusiness

Why does the Lancet report stop short of stating the obvious? As ever, following the money trail tells the tale. The study was produced by funding from three sources: the Minnesota Department of Health, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and the Mayo Clinic Foundation. The financial link is with the Mayo Clinic. It has very close ties to Hormel Foods Corporation, a major agribusiness pork products manufacturer. In 2009, Mayo gave the Hormel Institute $5 million "to strengthen their collaborative research partnership"⁽¹⁾. Hormel and Mayo have long been closely associated, often collaborating in projects.

In celebration of the dedication of a new research building, Hormel Foundation's CEO and President, Jeffrey Ettinger, issued a most grandiose statement:

Paraphrasing the words spoken by H.H. Corey, former CEO of Hormel Foods at the dedication in 1949, we believe this expansion will continue to benefit all of mankind. We wait with anticipation along with the rest of the world to see what the group will discover.

The Effect of Money on Pig Neurological Disease Research

Perhaps it's what they choose not to discover that's most important. As ever, money speaks louder than words. The whole story about the devastated lives of the workers affected by IPR isn't being told. Their condition is generally described in an upbeat manner, and neither the totality of effects nor the permanence of the condition or uncurability by allopathic means are made clear. The impression given is of an unfortunate incident that has been resolved.

The reality, though, is that agribusiness money is controlling this story. Another incident of a disease so similar to CJD and mad cow has been discovered, and the cause has been determined to be normal pigs' brains. So, why should this be minimized? The next article will delve into the reason. It's shocking and frightening because the implications extend to a host of diseases and one of modern medicine's favorite procedures: vaccinations.

Next: Vaccines, Prions, Genetic Modification, Mad Cows, and You