French Authorities Suspend Pig Products over Diarrhea Virus

French authorities will ban live pigs and certain pig products from North America and Japan in order to prevent a deadly health issue, known as the diarrhea virus, according to The Associated Press (AP). 

Though the Agriculture Ministry announced Friday that no cases of the virus have been reported in France since the epidemic's start, the ban would primarily concern animal feed, according to Reuters.

"This disease worries us because the economic consequences would be dramatic if it hit our farms, in Europe and notably in France," Jean-Luc Angot, deputy director general and chief veterinary officer at the French farm ministry, via Reuters. "When you see the numbers, there is a reason to be worried. There are few diseases that have such a high mortality rate at such a large scale."

In the United States, estimates show that 10 percent of the country's pigs have died from the virus, according to the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), while the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates that the figures are slightly lower at around 5 to 7 percent, according to the International Business Times.

This virus is responsible for driving up the price of pork and bacon prices throughout the country.