5
November 2003 12:00:00
Est
- Updated: 11 October
2012
Contact: Stephen M. Apatow
Founder,
Director of Research & Development
Humanitarian
Resource Institute (UN:NGO:DESA)
Humanitarian University
Consortium Graduate Studies
Center
for Medicine, Veterinary Medicine & Law
Phone:
203-668-0282
Email:
s.m.apatow@humanitarian.net
Internet:
www.humanitarian.net
H-II
OPSEC
Url:
www.H-II.org
Pathobiologics
International
Internet:
www.pathobiologics.org
Producers
and Producer
Organizations Overlooked in Contingency Planning Discussions on
Biosecurity
A key point
articulated at
the 8th annual meeting of the Association of Veterinary Biologics
Companies
(AVBC) panel discussion * on "Bioterrorism and the Veterinary Biologics
Industry" was if the United States was hit with a Foot and Mouth
Disease
(FMD) outbreak today, table top exercises conducted by the USDA have
calculated
potential spread to 39 states with the need for depopulation of
up
to 48 million animals. Associated with this discussion is the
economic
impact on the U.S., given that the agricultural sector contributes $1.5
trillion or 15% of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The
appropriate response
to a challenge like FMD perplexed a vast majority of participants,
because
very little guidance to assist the industry with risk analysis and
contingency
planning, has been developed during the two year period following the
2001
UK FMD outbreak. Though several high consequence pathogens were
discussed
during the keynote presentations, Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) was
identified
by the speakers as the most important foreign animal disease that the
USA
must be prepared for (National Academies: Countering Agricultural
Bioterrorism
2002).
During the
2001 UK FMD outbreak:
-
10,472:
(number of premises
recorded on which animals have been or are due to be slaughtered,
DEFRA,
June 2003.)
-
10,791,000
animals culled (Meat
and Livestock Commission): the UK breeding flock was reduced by
13%
(in England alone, by 18%), the UK breeding cattle herd was reduced by
6%.
-
Economic
cost: $20 billion (US)
(Vannieuwenhoven , 2001 Convention News. American Veterinary Medical
Association.
Wednesday, July 18, 2001.)
"When planning
for an FMD outbreak,
the “worst-case” scenario is a large, multi-focus, country wide
outbreak
involving many dealers & markets – Not a single focus or several
regionalized
foci." -- Sec. European Commission for the Control of FMD
Javier
Ekboir emphasized
in the paper "Potential Impact of Foot-and-Mouth Disease in California:
The role and contribution of animal health surveillance and monitoring
services:"
-
If an
outbreak is detected,
the time required to diagnose FMD and initiate the appropriate measures
will be crucial to determining the outbreak's ultimate effect. These
measures
would include a ban on all movements of susceptible animals that might
have been exposed to other animals, contact tracing, prompt and rigid
control
of the movements of animals and animal products, vehicles, equipment
and
people in a surveillance area around any outbreak area. Successful
eradication
of the disease would require the commitment of government, livestock
industries,
farmer's organizations and the general public. Research has suggested
that
a one week delay could increase the proportion of infected premises
from
18% to more than 90%.
-
The
conditions under which alternative
policies would be preferable should be evaluated in advance because
once
an outbreak has occurred, eradication strategies are largely
irreversible.
-
Without
strong support of producers
and producers’ organizations, it is impossible to maintain proper
surveil-lance
and to conduct a successful eradication campaign.
The need for
aggressive educational
initiatives on the producer and producers organizational level is clear.
###
*
Keynote Speakers AVBC
8th Annual Meeting, "Bioterrorism and the Biologics Industry" including
Panel Discussion:
Stephen
M. Apatow,
President and Director of Research and Development, of the nonprofit
organization
Humanitarian Resource Institute, is a specialist in strategic planning
and project development of initiatives associated with human medicine,
veterinary medicine and U.S. and international law. Current programs
include
the internet based Biodefense Reference Library, Foreign Animal and
Zoonotic
Disease Center, Bioinformatics: Pathobiological Diagnostics Center and
Biodefense Legal Reference Library. Educational resource development
for
the veterinary and medical community include the Foreign Animal Disease
Online Course and the Zoonotic Disease Online Review. To enhance
collaboration
between Humanitarian Resource Institute and the international community
of scholars, the Humanitarian University Consortium was formed to
enhance
the development of initiatives associated with economic, social,
cultural
and humanitarian issues worldwide.
David L.
Huxsoll:
As an internationally recognized authority on biological warfare and
former
dean of Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine, David
Huxsoll was the first veterinarian to command the U. S. Army Medical
Research
Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) where he developed a
biological
defense program that resulted in 19 new vaccines, drugs, and
diagnostics.
In 1991, he was senior scientist on the first United Nations
special-commission
biologic inspection team to travel to Iraq, and later, led a second
team
there. From 2000-2003, he served as director of the USDA,
Agricultural
Research Service, Plum Island Animal Disease Center (PIADC) in
Greenport,
N.Y. and today continues his work as an educator and expert in the
field
of biodefense program development.
Mark W.
McKim: Currently
assigned as the Security Manager for USDA-Ames, Mark McKim served 20
years
as an Anti-Terrorism Officer with the United States Navy.
Daniel
T. Ruth:
Following general veterinary practice from 1973-1980, Daniel Ruth was
director
of clinical research for Pitman Moore, Washington Crossing, NJ
(1980-1987)
and then director of new product development at 3M Animal Care
Products,
St. Paul, MN (1987-2002). Most recently he has served as a
specialized
consultant for the U.S. State Department promoting international
business
development and clinical research through innovative strategic
initiatives
utilizing bioweapons plants in the former Soviet Union.
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