Cattle owners whose herds have had little or no surveillance testing conducted in recent years or reside in communities where brucellosis has been diagnosed are urged to get their herds tested to assure their herds are free of brucellosis. Brucella suis , the species commonly associated with brucellosis in swine, causes abortions, pigs to be born dead or weak, and reduced fertility. Brucella suis is highly pathogenic in man and can cause severe flu-like symptoms. The last infected herd was found in August, 2000. This has significantly increased the level of surveillance for the disease in the states' swine population.
Feral swine are prevalent in many of the southern states.
Both brucellosis and pseudorabies have been diagnosed in captured feral swine. Owners of domestic swine are advised to take precautions that would assure their animals do not come into contact with feral swine. The national Pseudorabies Program has been dedicated to eliminating pseudorabies from the U. S. domestic swine population by the end of the year 2000. The Tuberculosis Program is an eradication program with the aim of eliminating Tuberculosis from domestic cattle and cervidae in the U. S. by the year 2001. This program is mandated by law and requires that any food waste containing meat products must be cooked for at least 30 minutes at 212 degrees Fahrenheit before it can be fed to swine.