Agroterrorism Awareness: Safeguarding American Agriculture : Agroterrorism Awareness: Safeguarding American Agriculture
The Wisconsin Experience : The Wisconsin Experience 1996- anonymous call about contaminated rendered products
Liquid fat contaminated with chlordane
Supplied to large feed manufacturer and to ~4,000 farms in four states
Milk and products from farms contaminated
$4 million to dispose of products
Overview : Overview Define the goals of agroterrorism
Understand the importance of agriculture to our nation
Realize the impact of agroterrorism
Know which agencies are involved in mitigation and response
Identify agents of potential use
Address public health concerns
Agroterrorism Issues : Agroterrorism Issues
What is Agroterrorism? : What is Agroterrorism? The use, or threatened use, of biological (to include toxins), chemical, or radiological agents against some component of agriculture in such a way as to adversely impact the agriculture industry or any component thereof, the economy, or the consuming public.
Slide6 : Biological agents targeting humans, animals, or plants Biological, chemical, or radiological agents targeting agriculture or its components
Livestock
Food supply
Crops
Industry
Workers Terrorism Conventional, radiological, nuclear, chemical, cyber
Typically direct human targeting
The Goals of Agroterrorism : The Goals of Agroterrorism Fear
Economic and trade disruption
Unlike human attack where high morbidity or mortality are goals
Exports are our lifeblood
2000, $51 billion exported in agricultural commodities
Characteristics of Targeting Agriculture : Characteristics of Targeting Agriculture Attack on crops or animals not as emotional as human targets
Less chance of retaliation
Use of agent may go undetected for days, weeks
Plausible deniability
No one would suspect it would occur
Clues Suggesting an Attack : Clues Suggesting an Attack Traceback of animals yields dead-end
No shared factor among animals
History of the farm/facility
Other concurrent outbreaks
Unusual signs
Overwhelming mortality
Unusual season for disease
Introducing an Agent : Introducing an Agent Multiple methods of delivery/insertion
Covert vs. overt
Simultaneous introduction in multiple areas
Accidental by tourists, products
Natural vs. intentional
Real vs. hoax
Lack of consumer confidence
Historical Aspects of Biological Warfare Programs and Agroterrorism : Historical Aspects of Biological Warfare Programs and Agroterrorism
History : History WWII
Germany
Experimentation with Foot and Mouth Disease
Germany and France
Late blight, wheat rusts, corn beetle, rapeseed beetle, Colorado beetle (1944)
1940-50’s
Soviet Union anti-agriculture weapons
The U.S. Program : The U.S. Program Began in 1941-42
Exam use of Newcastle, fowl plague, FMD, hog cholera, rice blast, cereal stem rust, wheat scab, late blight
Expanded during Korean War (1950-53)
30,000 kilos of Puccinia graminia tritici spores (wheat stem rust), 1951-69
1 ton of Piricularia oryzae spores for rice, 1966
Other crop targets: soybeans, sugar beets, sweet potatoes, cotton
The U.S. Program : The U.S. Program 1969-70, shut down
Total spent: $726 million
BWC of 1972 finally ratified by U.S. in 1975
Reasons for discontinuing
No guarantee they work
Costly
Aging research facilities
Importance of Agriculture : Importance of Agriculture
U.S. Data, 1999 : U.S. Data, 1999 Food and fiber accounts for ~16.4% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
24 million Americans are employed in some aspect of agriculture
Heavily tied to other industries and sectors
U.S. Animal Data, 2001 : U.S. Animal Data, 2001
Leading U.S. Crops, 2001 : Leading U.S. Crops, 2001
U.S. Exports, 2001 : U.S. Exports, 2001
Impact : Impact
Impact : Impact Potential for mass disruption
Weaken workforce
Destabilize government
Shocking public images
Loss of freedoms
Loss of consumer confidence
Higher prices?
Food shortages?
Monetary Impact : Monetary Impact Quickly felt by state/federal economy
Loss in trade
Other industries damaged
Restaurants, suppliers, tourism, zoos, hunting, etc.
Direct costs
Diagnostics, surveillance, depopulation, cleaning, disinfection, indemnity, overtime
Losses to Crops/Plants : Losses to Crops/Plants $33 billion/year in losses due to plant diseases
$21 billion due to nonindigenous pathogens
$7 billion/year in forest products
$2.1 billion due to nonindigenous pathogens
U.S. Agencies : U.S. Agencies
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) : U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
Veterinary Services (VS)
Livestock, poultry emergencies
Emergency Programs (EP)
Prepares and trains veterinarians and personnel to respond to outbreaks
Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ)
Crop, plant emergencies
USDA-APHIS-VS : USDA-APHIS-VS National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL)
Ames, IA and Plum Island, NY
Four labs
Provide diagnostic services and training
Foreign animal disease diagnosticians
All suspect FAD’s investigated within 24 hours of notification
U.S. Department of Homeland Security : U.S. Department of Homeland Security 3,000 USDA inspectors
Airports, borders, seaports
Beagle Brigade
1,800 USDA inspectors
2 million interceptions annually
130 dog teams trained to sniff out meat and produce at airports
Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) : Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) 1999, over 41,000 U.S. maritime trading vessels
48% increase in trade entries
2001, Customs processed
472 million persons
5.7 million containers
2002, imported 1.5 million cattle, 5.8 million pigs
Quarantine Stations : Quarantine Stations Import quarantine of livestock and poultry
4 facilities
Personally owned birds
6 quarantine facilities
Plants
14 quarantine facilities
First Responders : First Responders Local and state veterinarians
Recognize outbreak of foreign animal disease
USDA-APHIS personnel
University extension personnel
Local, state, federal health agencies
Law enforcement
Emergency management division
Agencies Involved in Wisconsin Case : Agencies Involved in Wisconsin Case City police
County sheriff
State crime lab
Wisconsin Ag, Trade, Consumer Protection
Environmental inspectors
Dairy inspectors
State veterinarian Dept. of Natural Resources in WI, MN, MI
Dept. of Agriculture in MN, MI, IL, IA, IN
Dept. of Health in WI
EPA
FDA
Office of Criminal Investigation
Livestock : Livestock
Vulnerabilities : Vulnerabilities High density husbandry
Auction markets, transport of animals
Limited immunity to foreign animal diseases
Centralized feed supply and distribution
Vulnerabilities : Vulnerabilities Poor traceability of animals
Expanded international trade and travel
Infectious agents are widespread in other countries
Porous borders
Lack of on-farm biosecurity
Lack of foreign animal disease awareness
Biosecurity : Biosecurity Efforts to keep out unwanted microbial agents
Minimizing spread, risk of disease
Multiple levels at which it can be applied
Regulate visitors
Restricting movement is essential
Quarantine new animals
Animal Movement : Animal Movement Mixing of animals at auction markets
More than 5 million cattle pass through every year
Transported via trucks
Dissemination of pathogens to other animals or fomites
1950-60- U.S. military secret testing
Potential Agents : Potential Agents Livestock and Plant Pathogens
USDA High Consequence Livestock Pathogens and Toxins : USDA High Consequence Livestock Pathogens and Toxins
Public Health Implications : Public Health Implications Several zoonotic diseases
Many diseases listed on the previous slide have human health consequences
Mechanical (negligible threat)
Newcastle disease, swine vesicular disease
Biological
Avian influenza, FMD
Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) : Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) Virus
Considered to be the most important livestock disease in the world
Not in U.S. since 1929
Vesicular disease of cloven- hoofed animals
Spread by aerosol & fomites
OIE Early Warning System : OIE Early Warning System Disease reported within 24 hours to OIE
Informs countries at risk
Trade shut down until further notice
Foot-and-Mouth Disease Distribution and Recent Activity : Present Recent Activity Free
(Rev. 3-25-01) Foot-and-Mouth Disease Distribution and Recent Activity
Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) : Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) Animals at risk in the U.S.
100 million cattle
60 million swine
7 million sheep
40 million wildlife
Not horses
Humans rarely infected
Huge economic impact
U.K. FMD Outbreak, 2001 : U.K. FMD Outbreak, 2001 Total costs over £10 billion
Ag industry, compensation, tourism, sports
6 million animals slaughtered
FMD free in less than 1 year
Public perception
Animal welfare
Smoke pollution
Wildlife : Wildlife Risk of enzootic wildlife infection
Permanent trade embargoes possible
Risk to zoos and endangered species
1985 Israel FMD infection in gazelles
1,500 deaths, spread to neighboring livestock
$100 billion spent in the U.S.
Hunting, fishing, camping, skiing, other outdoor activities
Newcastle Disease (ND) : Newcastle Disease (ND) Virus affecting poultry
Four pathotypes
Asymptomatic, lentogenic, mesogenic, velogenic
vND endemic in Asia, Middle East, Africa, Central/ South America
Causes drop in egg production, neurological damage, and death
Newcastle Disease (ND) : Newcastle Disease (ND) 1950: First U.S. case
1972: Eradication campaign began
12 million birds destroyed
$56 million dollar cost to tax payers
Outbreaks continue due to illegal importation of exotic birds and poultry
Humans can acquire eye infections
Newcastle Disease : Newcastle Disease 2002-2003: California outbreak
2,662 premises depopulated
4 million birds destroyed
$160 million impact
Developing countries
Effects quality and quantity of dietary protein
Significant effect on human health
Crops and Plants : Crops and Plants
Plant Targets : Plant Targets Food crops
Wheat: #1 grain export in 2002
Corn: #2 grain export in 2002
Soybean: U.S. produced ~46% of world’s crops in 1999-2000
Citrus, sugarcane
Fiber
Cotton
Timber
Northwest U.S.
Economically Damaging Plant Pathogens in U.S. : Economically Damaging Plant Pathogens in U.S.
Plant Pathogens with Trade Issues : Plant Pathogens with Trade Issues Karnal Bunt
Wheat
Maize Streak virus
Wheat, grass, maize
Bacterial Wilt
Potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant
Curcurbit Yellow Stunt Disorder virus
Cantaloupe, watermelon
Fungal Plant Agent : Fungal Plant Agent Karnal Bunt
Tilletia indica Mitra
Wheat
Affects taste not yield
1996 discovered in AZ, CA, TX
Clean up cost $45 million
Remain viable in soil 5 years
Factors Influencing Effectiveness of Crop Pathogens : Factors Influencing Effectiveness of Crop Pathogens Meteorological conditions
Susceptibility of crop
Planting times, season, irrigation
Geographic terrain
Ability of agent to survive and thrive
Dependence of agent upon insect vector, mechanical, or wind transmission
Conclusion : Conclusion
What Have We Learned? : What Have We Learned? Threats need to be taken seriously
Framework for response and coordination
Adequate resources and expertise
Determine extent of attack
Prevent disease spread and associated losses
Prevent any public health implications
Finding the perpetrator
Improving Biosecurity : Improving Biosecurity Tailored to each farm
Cost-benefit considerations
Must consider state/federal concerns
Universal precautions
Role of USDA-APHIS
Involvement of industry groups
Summary : Summary Agroterrorism is a real threat
Economic consequences could be severe
Awareness education imperative
Working plans in place
Minimal direct human illness
Continued vigilance essential
Additional Resources : Additional Resources
Slide64 : Davis RG. Agroterrorism: Need for awareness. In: Scanes C, ed. Perspectives in world food and agriculture: 2003. Ames, IA: ISU Press. In press., 2003
USDA-APHIS website www.aphis.usda.gov
OIE website www.oie.int
Acknowledgments : Acknowledgments Development of this presentation was funded by a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to the Center for Food Security and Public Health at Iowa State University.
Acknowledgments : Acknowledgments Author: Radford G. Davis, DVM, MPH
Co-author: Danelle Bickett-Weddle, DVM