A bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives would require a joint report by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that tracks pathogens associated with nonambulatory, or “downed,” pigs.
The Pigs and Public Health Act, reintroduced July 25 by Texas Rep. Veronica Escobar, aims to establish improved, species-specific regulations ensuring proper handling and humane treatment of downed pigs – swine that cannot stand or walk unassisted – during transport, slaughter, and on-farm with the goal of reducing downed pigs from entering the food supply and threatening public health.
“For years, Congress has failed to support regulations in the U.S. pork industry that ensure safe working conditions, the prioritization of public health, and humane treatment for farmed animals," Escobar said. "The risk that downed pigs pose to public health continues to be unaddressed even as we see the rise of animal-based illnesses like bird flu and maintained use of a factory farming model that increases the likelihood of infectious diseases in humans from animal origins.”
The Pigs and Public Health Act is co-sponsored by Reps. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts and Jerry Nadler of New York.
The bill is supported by animal rights groups the Animal Legal Defense Fund and Mercy for Animals.
