Agroterrorism threat cited - Dairy Herd Management 05/05/05

[Guest guest]

I read this in the Dairy Herd alert today.

 

It's always hard to tell how these things will play out, and how they

will affect devotee herds -- if at all. Naturally, there is some degree

of threat -- but once the government gets involved in it, you can

generally be sure that the solution will involve some expensive process

that will make some company a lot of money.

 

Just a heads up.

 

your servant,

 

Hare Krsna dasi

 

Agroterrorism threat cited

America is highly vulnerable to an agroterrorism attack. That was the

message echoed by several speakers at the 1st International Symposium on

Agroterrorism this week in Kansas City. Sponsored by the FBI, the event

attracted approximately 800 registrants.

 

James Roth, professor of veterinary medicine at Iowa State

University, said the U.S. agricultural system is vulnerable because of:

 

* Dense populations of animals

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* Extensive transportation of animals

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* Poor traceability of animals

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* Lack of immunity among domestic animals to foreign-animal diseases.

 

Underlying all of this is the threat by terrorist groups to do harm

to the U.S. economy. Agriculture accounts for $1.24 trillion, or 12.3

percent, of the U.S. gross domestic product. And, 16.7 percent of the

jobs in this country are related to agriculture.

 

U.S. still ramping up on agroterrorism

Despite the threat of agroterrorism, some surprising holes still exist

in our nation's ability to prepare and respond to an attack.

 

James Roth, professor of veterinary medicine at Iowa State

University, says there are no level-4 biosafety labs in the United

States that offer the highest level of security for researching animal

pathogens that also are dangerous to humans. He said researchers have

had to work with a lab in Canada to test pigs for a Nipah virus vaccine.

 

Later Tuesday, in a meeting with editors at Vance Publishing Corp.

-- parent company of Dairy Herd Management -- U.S. Secretary of

Agriculture Mike Johanns said he is aware of the level-4 lab situation

and will work to address it. "It is on the radar screen," he said.