Avian influenza fears hang over lean hog futures in the US

Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) lean hog futures fell to their lowest level in more than a week on Monday before ending unchanged, as concerns about risks for the spread of avian influenza in livestock hung over the market, Reuters reported, citing analysts. Live cattle and feeder cattle futures ended lower. Livestock markets have swung on worries about the H5N1 virus since the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirmed cases in dairy cows for the first time in late March. The USDA has since reported outbreaks in nine states, though scientists think outbreaks are more widespread based on findings of H5N1 particles in about 20% of milk samples. Concerns about the disease create nervousness among funds that hold net long positions in hog futures, said Altin Kalo, agricultural economist for Steiner Consulting. Traders worry about the risk for the virus, known as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), to spill into hog herds. USDA has reported no cases in pigs. "You have ...