Deadly Swine Disease Sweeps China

A virulent strain of deadly swine disease is sweeping through Chinese livestock, triggering a pork shortage, rampant inflation and worldwide worries about where the virus will appear next, the New York Times reports. China, one the world's biggest hog exporters, is refusing to cooperate with international health organizations and may already have allowed the disease to spread beyond its borders.

"It would be naïve to think we could contain this virus," said a disease expert. "This is already considered a threat to the global industry."  The virus has already spread to 25 of China's 33 provinces. "This disease is like a wind that swept in and passed from village to village," said a farmer. (More China stories.)