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Food defense in 21st century requires effective communicationBy Doug Rich
Human resources are important; equipment and veterinary supplies are important, but communication is vital in the event of an agroterrorism incident, according to John Clifford, with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Clifford was keynote speaker at the third annual International Symposium on Agroterrorism sponsored by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. "I think one of the critical components for food defense is that none of us can do this alone," Clifford said. "It will take a huge effort from all of us." Judging from the long list of federal agencies that are involved in the food and agriculture defense effort, no one is trying to do this alone. Part of the effort will be to determine the specific role of each of these agencies. Food defense is a multi-agency task that includes APHIS, FBI, United States Department of Agriculture, Department of Homeland Security, Food and Drug Administration, Center for Disease Control, Department of the Interior, Department of Defense, Food Safety and Inspection Service, and Department of Health and Human Services, just to name a few. "To do a good job in the event of a disease outbreak, we have to have effective communication and good preparedness," Clifford said. "We have to work together. This is no time to deal with turf issues. It is about protecting agriculture and the livelihood of this country." Clifford said if there was a suspected agroterrorism event, the initial action of APHIS would be to call the DHS office within the USDA. This would be followed by calls to the Office of the Investigator General and the FBI taskforce that would lead the investigation. "Our role as animal and plant health specialists isn't to get involved in the investigative process, but to help investigators obtain the information or forensic evidence they need to build their case," Clifford said. "DHS has a role in the coordination of the federal response and APHIS would continue to lead the response specific to the animal or plant health concerns." Compared to other federal agencies, APHIS is a relatively small agency with around 1,850 employees. Clifford said this number includes 500 veterinarians and 400 to 500 animal health technicians. "We don't have the capacity to handle large outbreaks for large periods of time," Clifford said. To provide the surge capacity APHIS would need to respond to a large disease outbreak, they would depend on private practitioners as well as help from other countries. The National Animal Health Reserve Corps is made up of private practitioners that would assist APHIS in a national animal health event. Clifford said this group has already been used three times. "We have an agreement with six countries to assist one another in an animal health emergency," Clifford said. This agreement includes the U.S., Canada, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. Under this agreement, the U.S. sent help to the UK during their foot and mouth disease outbreak. In regards to a major disease outbreak, it is important to have equipment and supplies ready and have them available in a timely manner. For this reason, the National Veterinary Stockpile has been established. This is a national repository of critical veterinary supplies and equipment. It is designed to have equipment on site within 24 hours for outbreaks involving the 17 major disease issues. "In addition to this, we have an FMD vaccine bank that is called the North American FMD Vaccine Bank," Clifford said. This strategic supply of vaccine is owned and managed by Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. "The use of vaccines are dependent on the disease," Clifford said. "We don't just go in and start vaccinating. For example, our strategy with FMD, if we vaccinate, is to put a ring around the initial outbreak site in order to contain and prevent spread of the disease. Our current strategy lies with depopulation of the affected species." However, Clifford sees a time in the not too distant future when depopulation will not be an option. Not only will the general public not allow this action but, also, it is a huge cost to the taxpayers and a waste of valuable protein, Clifford said. "Many of these diseases are not human health issues," Clifford said. "It is a matter of perception, not science, on the use of that protein. We need to build consumer confidence in that protein, use that protein, and save massive destruction of animals. "Food defense in the 21st century requires effective communication and collaborations," Clifford said. "There are a lot of groups involved and it is critically important that we have good communication and understand each other's roles in the event of a disease outbreak." Doug Rich can be reached phone at 785-749-5304 or by e-mail at richhpj@aol.com. 5/5/08 Date: 5/1/08
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