(NaturalNews) Health researchers believe that a mystery disease that has been afflicting employees at a pig slaughterhouse in Minnesota is caused by the inhalation of microscopic pig brain particles.
The health condition known as "progressive inflammatory neuropathy" was first identified by an interpreter at a medical clinic, who noticed that several patients with different doctors were all reporting similar symptoms. Eventually, 12 employees at the same slaughterhouse were diagnosed with the same condition.
The
disease is characterized by burning, numbness and weakness in the arms and legs and can range from unpleasant to debilitating, with some
patients finding themselves unable to even walk. While it resembles other medical
conditions, the exact collection of
symptoms has never been seen before.
"This appears to be something new," said Minnesota State Epidemiologist Ruth Lynfield.
All 12 patients worked at or near the slaughterhouse's "head table," where the severed heads of slaughtered pigs are taken apart and processed. The
brains are removed by forcing compressed air through the animal's skull, then packaged for sale in Korea and China.
The consumption of vertebrate brains is a well-known risk factor for conditions such as mad cow disease. Researchers now believe that inhaling
brain particles might also be responsible for causing disease.
According to the leading theory, the compressed air forces microscopic pig brain particles into the air, where they are inhaled by nearby
employees. The employees' immune systems identify the particles as foreign invaders and produce antibodies against them. Because of the similarity between pig and human nervous tissue, however, these antibodies also end up attacking the person's own nervous system.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched an investigation into 25 other pig
slaughterhouses in 13 states in search of more cases. The CDC believes it has identified more cases at one of the other two other slaughterhouses that use compressed air to extract brains.
The compressed air method has now been halted at all three slaughterhouses.
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