ISU closes farm tours after swine virus found

LEXINGTON - Illinois State University has stopped public tours of its farm in Lexington after the swine virus spreading across much of the country was detected.

Peter Lammers is an assistant professor of animal science. He tells WJBC radio in Bloomington that the movement of people and pigs from one facility to another is one possible way to transmit porcine epidemic diarrhea virus.

The virus has spread to more than two-dozen states since it was identified in the United States in 2013. Millions of young pigs have died. The virus doesn't affect people or pose a food-safety risk.

Lammers said the university has also made changes to lab classes to cut down on the potential of spreading the virus from the farm in Lexington, a town located northeast of Normal.