Loading ...There was an article posted yesterday via twitter (@NCState) and it has popped up a few times today as well on my news feeds. This article titled “Feral Pigs Can Carry Nasty Bacteria” wasn’t just about some bacteria strain discovered by NC State; it was about all of the circumstances surrounding the spread of such bacteria.
Before you tune out, consider this: NC State was founded to serve the people of North Carolina. This is a great example of that. What this research found was that the bacteria, alone, is bad enough, but when you consider that people have been artificially bringing in feral pigs into new areas to increase the amount of game they can hunt, you begin to see why this is of concern to all people in North Carolina and the surrounding regions. These are the kinds of animals that can spread disease to other animals (like pets), eat almost anything (gardens, shrubs, other household plants and food sources), and multiply rapidly. I’m not saying it’s a problem of pandemic proportions, but it is a problem that someone has to look at. NC State answers that call.
Just remember when you hear your peers jawing at NC State for being “Moo U” or “Cow College” that when institutions like Carolina “invest in silly research”, it’s to write a paper or look at a collection of literature. When NC State ‘invests in silly research’ it’s to serve the people of NC.
Loading ...
WolfpackWorld is created by an alumni of NC State University to talk about sports, campus events, and anything else affecting the university. We believe that sharing your opinions about NC State shouldn't be something that you have to be a web-genius or a member of some inside "old boys club" to enjoy. Good opinions also shouldn't be buried in the usual muck of online forums and web-communities. At WolfpackWorld, we believe being a fan is a part of who we are.
This really hits home. For those who are unaware, my degrees from NCSU are animal science and veterinary. This is the classic land bridge issue/scenario (in this case man made). And while you’re correct that this single instance of a new bacterial strain in the area probably isn’t something that will result in major consequences, it only takes once. My guess is that for every new bacterial strain or virus we’ve identified, there are probably several others we have no clue about yet (this is purely conjecture on my part).
While it sounds mundane, this is pretty serious stuff. Just one new microbe that can move across species lines and into our food supply….or God forbid, into us….could cause serious medical and even societal issues.
Thank God someone is keeping an eye on this, and I’m proud to know it’s the fine folks at my alma mater.
It doesn’t sound mundane at all to me. I’ve always wondered when people talk about stocking areas with game for hunting if that doesn’t completely screw-up the natural order of things. Wasn’t that kutzu vine something that was ‘introduced’ accidentally by traders? Now it grows on anything that sees sunlight. Maybe NC State can think of a solution for that, too.