PARIS -- French authorities will suspend imports of live pigs and certain pig products from North America and Japan to prevent a deadly virus from contaminating the food chain here. France is looking to ban the import of all pork-based products, pigs, and pig sperm from the US, Canada, Mexico and Japan, over fears that a virus, which has killed millions of piglets, could damage the European markets.

The Agriculture Ministry said Friday no cases of the virus, known as porcine epidemic diarrhea, have been recorded in France since this epidemic broke out.

"This disease worries us because the economic consequences would be dramatic if it hit our farms, in Europe and notably in France," Jean-Luc Angot, deputy director general and chief veterinary officer at the French farm ministry, told Reuters.


The French ministry says the ban will enter into effect Saturday pending a larger Europe-wide decision on pig imports. The ban does not apply to all pork products.

See our story on PEDv published yesterday