Iowa research lab identifies new strain of deadly pig virus

(Reuters) – A new strain of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus, or PEDv, has been identified in samples taken from Illinois and Missouri, a top veterinarian at Iowa State University said on Monday. “We found that there is a variant out there that appears to be quite different than the original,” Rodger Main, the head veterinarian of Iowa State University’s veterinary diagnostic lab, told Reuters on Monday. PEDv, a highly contagious and potentially fatal pig virus, causes diarrhea, vomiting and severe dehydration.