Scientists Create Mutant Swine That Don't Get Fat

For the first time, scientists have created pigs that don't get fat, regardless of how much they eat.

The breakthrough could lead to genetically modified pigs being used to produce lean meat for human consumption.

"We found that loss of the obesity gene caused a complete change in the animals' energy balance, so despite eating the same amount of food as their counterparts, they did not become obese," said study author Dr. Christiane Weber.

The Washington Post reports:

To create the mutant piglets, researchers deleted the gene POMC, which is known to play a role in weight regulation. (Mutations in the gene are also associated with human obesity.) The animals were then allowed to eat as much as they wanted. While all of the control piglets became obese, only about 10 percent of those without the POMC gene became corpulent. "This tells us that POMC is definitely involved in regulating body weight in pigs," Weber said. "It's not just a mouse phenomena." The next step, she said, is to see if deleting other genes involved in weight regulation has a similar effect. Work is already underway on this front. The implications of this research are far-reaching. If we can engineer pigs that don't get fat even when they overindulge on food, we could potentially do the same with cows and other livestock used for meat production. This would help us address two major global problems: obesity and climate change. Livestock farming is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, and producing fatty meat is inefficient from both an environmental and economic standpoint. Having leaner animals would go a long way toward solving both of these issues.

Drug-Resistant Super Swine on the Rise

According to a new study, drug-resistant strains of "super swine" are on the rise. The culprit? Reckless antibiotic use in livestock farming operations.

The study, published in the journal mBio, surveyed 765 livestock farms from around the world and found that superbugs resistant to critically important antibiotics were present on more than 60 percent of them.

"This is very concerning," said senior author Patrick McNamara, an assistant professor at the University of Georgia's College of Veterinary Medicine. "The spread of these drug-resistant superbugs has broad implications for public health."

Farmers rely on antibiotics to keep their animals healthy, but overuse of these drugs has led to the development of resistant strains of bacteria. These superbugs can easily jump to humans, leading to life-threatening infections.

In fact, antibiotic resistance is now recognized as one of the world's most pressing public health threats. Every year, it kills 23,000 Americans and poses a serious threat to global food security.

The good news is that there are things we can do to fight back. For starters, we need to stop overusing antibiotics in livestock farming operations. We also need to invest in new drugs and treatments that can beat back antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Ultimately, we need to think seriously about how we're going to address this growing public health threat. The clock is ticking - we can't afford to wait any longer.

California Farmers Battle Rare Swine Plague

A bacterial disease called porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is hitting California pig farms, and farmers are struggling to stop the spread of the virus.

The disease, which causes pigs to miscarry and makes them susceptible to other infections, is believed to have originated in China and has been spreading across the globe in recent years. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated PRRS as a "reportable disease," meaning that farmers must report any cases to state officials.

So far, the disease has been reported in 27 counties in California, including Fresno, Kern, and San Joaquin. In some cases, entire herds of pigs have been wiped out.

Farmers are using a variety of methods to try to control the spread of the virus, including disinfecting barns and equipment, quarantining sick animals, and vaccinating pigs against PRRS. However, so far there is no cure for the disease, and it is proving difficult to contain.

Pork producers are hoping that new vaccines will be developed in the near future that can help combat this global scourge. In the meantime, they will continue to battle against this deadly virus as best they can.

Farmer Finds Dead Pig in His Field - Suspected of Being Attacked by Other Pigs

Farmer John woke up one morning to find a dead pig in one of his fields. He believes that the pig was killed by other pigs, as there were bite marks all over the body. This is not the first time that this has happened - Farmer John has lost several pigs to suspected pig-on-pig violence.

The farmer is at his wit's end. He does not know what to do, as he cannot keep losing animals like this. He has contacted the local authorities, but they have been no help. They claim that there is nothing they can do, as it is not illegal for pigs to kill other pigs.

Farmer John is now considering giving up his farm altogether. The thought of losing more animals to these senseless killings is too much for him to handle. He does not know what he will do if he has to leave his farm, but he feels like he has no other choice.

GMO Pigs Could End Hunger and Spread Disease

GMO pigs are on the horizon, and many people are concerned about the implications of this new technology. The potential to use GMO pigs to end world hunger is a seductive prospect, but there are many reasons to be wary of this technology.

The first major concern is that GMOs could spread disease. In 2013, a GMO virus called porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) caused a pandemic in the United States that resulted in the death of over seven million piglets. This epidemic was caused by the accidental release of GMO pigs into the wild. If GMO pigs were to escape from confinement facilities and breed with wild pigs, it could create a whole new class of genetically modified organisms that could spread disease and wreak havoc on the environment.

Another concern is that GMO pigs could contaminate natural pig populations. If GMO pigs mate with wild pigs, their offspring will inherit the GMO trait, and this could ultimately lead to the extinction of natural pig populations.

The potential for GMO pigs to end world hunger is also cause for concern. There is no guarantee that these animals will be able to survive in the wild or produce enough meat to feed large numbers of people. In addition, there is no evidence that GMO pigs are safe to eat. The long-term health effects of eating GMOs are still unknown, and it is possible that consuming GM pork could have negative health consequences.

Overall, there are many reasons to be skeptical of GMO pigs. These animals pose a threat to public safety and could destroy natural pig populations. There is also no evidence that they can solve world hunger or are safe to eat. Until more is known about this technology, it is best to err on the side of caution and avoid GMOs altogether.