State Looks into Illness of 2 at Slaughterhouse

Jan 18, 04:31 PM

Jan. 18--Two employees of an unidentified pig slaughterhouse in Indiana are being treated for symptoms similar to a suspected neurological illness that sickened 12 workers at a Minnesota pork plant.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notified the Indiana Department of Health in mid-December of a potential link. State officials said Thursday they still are trying to determine whether any other workers at the plant were exposed to something in the pig's brain tissue that may have triggered the illness.

Officials are continuing to investigate, but so far they haven't identified any viruses or bacteria that could be causing the problems. They also have ruled out chemical toxins.

Indiana has 30 hog plants. Citing privacy concerns, the state won't reveal the name or location of the Indiana plant.

The illnesses here are not life-threatening, said Elizabeth Hart, a spokeswoman for the Indiana State Department of Health.

The employees are seeking medical attention with their personal physicians.

Hart said it is unclear when the Indiana employees got sick. Health officials in Indianapolis became aware of the two illnesses during the first week in January. The Indiana workers' symptoms included changes in sensation and weakness in their limbs.

"This is very, very new to us," Hart said.

After the Minnesota slaughterhouse illness was reported in December, the CDC looked into slaughtering practices in 25 large pork-processing plants in 13 states, and found only two others -- one in Indiana and one Nebraska -- that use compressed air to remove pigs' brains. Minnesota health officials said the pork plants in all three states, including Indiana, have voluntarily stopped the practice.

The Indiana pork industry employs more than 13,000 people, and generates $3 billion for the state's economy each year, according to a Purdue University report.

Gary Jacobson, president of Indiana Packers Corp. in Delphi, said Thursday his company is not the plant involved, but he has been in contact with the CDC, trying to stay informed on the issue so he can update employees.

Any facility that processes meat is going to encounter hazards, which is why they stress the importance of safety gear, he said.

"People look like they are in a suit of armor when they go to work here," Jacobson said.

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