Reuters reports that workers at Quality Pork Processors Inc in Austin, MN have contracted a new disease -- symptoms include inflammation of the spinal cord, mild weakness, fatigue, numbness and tingling in the arms and legs. The source of these symptoms appears to be these workers' use of compressed air to blow pork brains out of the skull cavity.

Why is this happening? A doctor has been studying 18 Minnesota patients, all of whom have evidence of nerve involvement, typically affecting the legs. He said tests showed patients had damage to the nerves at the root level near the spinal cord, and at the far reaches of their motor nerves, where the nerves connect with muscle.

Why should investors care about this? It's worth looking at whether any publicly traded pork processors use the same technique that Quality Pork Processors does for blowing out pork brains. One candidate for further study is Smithfield Foods (NYSE: SFD), a global pork processor. So far the pork workers have not sued their employer for the disease. But if the problem becomes more severe and widespread, it could affect pork processor profits.

And that would cause nerve problems for investors as well as workers.

Peter Cohan is President of Peter S. Cohan & Associates. He also teaches management at Babson College and edits The Cohan Letter. He has no financial interest in the securities mentioned.