An unknown deadly virus that has been claiming the lives of close to millions of piglet stocks in the United States without means to prevent its spread is threatening to raise the prices of bacon across the continent.

Prices of bacon are currently up by 10 percent as concerns mount on a possible disruption of pork production.

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A pound of bacon in U.S. markets averaged US$ 5.46 (33.79 yuan/pound) in February, increasing by 13 percent. Prices of ham and pork chops were also up based on a data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Specialists suspect the unknown virus is mimicking itself as a Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED) that possibly came from China.

The first cases of PED were reported in China in the 1980s and it was identified to have arrived in the U.S. in May 2013.

The virus, which does not affect humans, has spread to pig farms across 27 states, hitting hard the state of Iowa, the leading producer of pork in the U.S.

Incidence of PED has also been reported in North Carolina, Minnesota and Illinois, and neighboring countries Mexico and Canada.

PED peak attacks on the pig population in November in one Iowa farm alone resulted to the loss of 13,000 heads of pork in a matter of weeks. Most of the porcine victims were barely two weeks of age.

The federal government has expressed concerns over future outbreaks as millions of piglets were put down to control the spread of the virus.

Some US$ 1.7 million was set aside by federal authorities to jump start research on the disease.

Veterinarians advised farmers to be on alert, get trained on how to spot symptoms, and require pig pen caretakers to change clothes after showering. The veterinarians also recommend limiting visitors from entering the pens.

The U.S. Agriculture Department estimates that death caused by PEDs could range from 2.7 to 6 million heads in 2013, resulting to a three percent decline in the U.S. pig population to 64 million heads.

Diarrhea, which also affects humans, has the same discomfort on pigs but results in rapid dehydration especially for young pigs. Affected piglets have a higher mortality rate if they are not immediately weaned and pumped with clear fluids to gently hydrate them without putting pressure on their intestines.

Scientists say that PED becomes more potent during the cold season, resulting in a rapid mortality incidence this winter.