AGROTERRORISM

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AGROTERRORISM

• George F. Henning, MD, VMD
• Associate Professor
• Family Community Medicine
• Director, Pennsylvania Agromedicine Program
• Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
• The Pennsylvania State University, College of
  Medicine

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Learning Objectives

• Recognize and understand the basic epidemiology
  of the common agents of Agroterrorism.
• Identify signs and symptoms of patients affected
  by common Zoonotic Agroterrorism agents.
• Understand the economic and psychological impact
  of an Agroterrorism event at a local, regional
  and national level.
• Understand local and national vulnerability to a
  terrorist attack against agricultural targets and
  the basic measures to prevent such an occurrence.

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Agromedicine

• Agromedicine is a partnership of health and
  agricultural professionals which promotes the
  health and safety of agricultural producers,
  workers, their families and consumers of
  agricultural products. Agromedicine addresses
  the health and safety concerns of agriculture,
  including forestry and fisheries, through
  collaboration of colleges of agricultural science
  and medicine and their partners.

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Pennsylvania Agromedicine Program

• Penn State College of Medicine
• Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health
• Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
• Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences

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Agroterrorism

• The deliberate introduction of a disease agent,
  either against livestock or into the food chain
  for purposes of undermining socioeconomic
  stability and/or generating fear.

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Terrorist Act
Fear Anxiety Disruption
Threat to Food Supply
Economic Damage
Primary Focus
7

• VULNERABILITY

SUCCESSFUL TERRORIST ACT
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Motivation

• Fear of Food Adulteration
• Domestic Unrest
• Confidence in Government
• Fear of Zoonotic Disease
• Avian Influenza
• Mad Cow
• Stomatitis

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Motivation

• Agricultural Economy
• Total Sector Value 1.2 Trillion
• (11 Gross Domestic Product)
• 16 of Total Workforce
• Direct Farm Sales 200 Billion

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Motivation

• Agricultural Economy
• Export Value 53 Billion
• Import Value 42 Billion
• 22 of U.S. Agricultural Production is Exported

Market Disruption/Manipulation
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Rural America

• Stress/Anxiety
• Job Loss
• Local Economic Impact

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Rural Pennsylvania

• 2.8 Million Rural Residents
• One of the Highest Rural Populations in the
  Nation
• All Counties (Except Philadelphia) Have an Area
  Classified as Rural
• 48 Counties Rural Based

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Pennsylvania Agriculture

• Farm Production over 4.9 Billion
• Agriculture Related Products 8.3
  Billion
• Export Value 1.5 Billion

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Pennsylvania Agriculture

• 59,000 Farms Covering 7 Million Acres
• 1.6 Million Cattle 500,000 Dairy Cows
• 1 Million Hogs
• Poultry Over 170 Million

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Pennsylvania Agriculture
Hort Mushrooms 832,690 -- 17
Poultry Meat 1,545,707 -- 31
Fruits 102,750 -- 2
Veggies 117,980 -- 2
Field Crops 491,233 -- 10
Dairy 1,768,976 -- 36
Govt. Payments 91,232 -- 2
In millions (2004 value 4.95B)
Source Pennsylvania Ag Statistics and Penn
State Cooperative Extension
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Agroterrorism Consequences

• Direct Losses
• Animals/Crops Killed by Agent
• Containment Costs Massive
• Animals/Crops Destroyed to Prevent Spread
• Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in United Kingdom
  2001
• 1.6 Billion for Animals Alone

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Agroterorrism Consequences

• Containment Costs/Disruption
• Loss of Farm Production
• Loss of Associated Enterprise
• Trade/Travel Restriction Community-Wide
• FMD in United Kingdom 2001
• 4 Billion Loss in Tourism

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Agroterrorism Consequences

• International Trade Restrictions
• Protective Embargoes from Trading Partners
• Example Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)
  Canada, Japan
• Example Chile Grapes 1989
• 200 Million from Cyanide Contamination Scare

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Agroterrorism Consequences

• Environmental
• Chemical Control
• Pesticides/Herbicides
• Animal/Plant Biomass Disposal
• Massive Volumes FMD in United Kingdom 10
  Million Animals
• Public Response

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UK Funeral Pyre
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Agroterrorism Consequences

• United States Projections
• African Swine Fever (1994)
• 5.4 Billion
• FMD 10 Farms
• 2 Billion
• FMD United Kingdom Sized Outbreak
• 30 Billion

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Sources of Agroterrorism

• International Terrorists
• Weapons of War
• Domestic Terrorists
• Animal Rights
• Anti-Government
• Individuals

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New Zealand - 1997

• Massive Rabbit Population
• Individual Farmers Introduced Rabbit Hemorrhagic
  Disease Virus
• Now Endemic
• Resistant Population Recovering

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Vulnerability of Agriculture

• Agents Not Hazardous
• Easily Obtained / Weaponized
• Readily Available
• Dispersed Easily

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Vulnerability of Agriculture

• Low Security
• Small Hit Large Economic Impact
• Transportation, Environment, Animal Concentration
• Mimics Natural Occurrences
• Imports Vulnerable

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Obstacles to Agroterrorism

• Lack of Shock Value
• Lack of Expertise
• Counterterrorism Effort
• Border Inspections
• Pathogen Regulations
• Security Efforts

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Points of Attack

• Pre-Harvest
• Grains
• Fruits and Vegetables
• Animal Products
• Meats, Milk, Eggs, Etc

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Points of Attack

• Harvest/Processing
• Collection, Transportation
• Processing, Packaging, Storage
• Manufacturing
• Cheese, Bread, Ice Cream

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Points of Attack

• Retail
• Restaurant
• Example Oregon/Salmonella
• Any Patient, Anywhere
• Toxins
• Infectious Disease
• Food Borne Illness

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Food Production System Basics

• Plant Grains
• Grown Midwest, Far West, Canada
• Harvested and Stored Elevators
• Shipped National
• Shipped Globally
• Human and Animal Consumption

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Food Production System Basics

• Plant Fruits and Vegetables
• In Season Grown and Consumed Locally
• Out of Season (or non-native)
• Imported from Western or Southern U.S.
• Imported from Central and South America
• Transported for Processing and/or Storage

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Food Production System Basics

• Animal Meats
• Young Animals Produced on Small to Large Farms
• Consolidated in Large Growing Facilities (feed
  lots)
• Transported to Large Slaughterhouses
• Retail or Further Processing
• Export

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Food Production System Basics

• Animal Milk
• Produced on Small (East, Upper Midwest) to Very
  Large (South, West) Farms
• Transported to Local or Distant Processing Plants
• Shipped to Consumer, Processed or Dried and Stored

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Economic Impact

• Local/Ripple Effect
• Loss of Production
• Animal/Crop Loss
• Quarantine
• Containment
• Support and Suppliers
• Transport, Feed Supply, Financial Institutions
• Other Local Business
• Tourism, Recreation

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Economic Impact

• National
• Government Eradication and Compensation
• Transportation, Processors, Distributors, Retail
• Financial Institutions/Markets
• Exports

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Economic Impact

• Example
• FMD in U.K.
• 2,000 Animal Cases
• 4 Million Animals Slaughtered
• Total Cost 32 Billion
• Human
• Tearfulness
• Anger
• Insomnia
• Depression

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Economic Impact

• Example
• FMD Eradication Policies
• Slaughter of Uninfected Animals (Depopulation)
• Restriction of Farm Access and Movement
• Wildlife Exposures

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History of Agroterrorism

• Countries with Documented Agricultural Bioweapons
  Programs (20th Century)

Known Canada France Germany Iraq Japan South
Africa United Kingdom United States USSR
Suspected Egypt North Korea Rhodesia Syria
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Biological Toxin andWeapons Convention 1972

• Stopped ALL Biological Weapons Development
• Destroy All Stockpiles
• U.S. Signed, U.S.S.R. Continued

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Documented Terrorist Attacks

• MauMau Uprising Kenya (1952)
• African Milk Bush Killed 33 Cattle
• Rajneeshee Cult Oregon (1984)
• Salmonella Spread in Salad Bars to Influence
  Election

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Documented Terrorist Attacks

• Israeli Settlers Palestine (1997)
• Pesticide Contaminated Pre-Harvest Grapes
• (17,000 Metric Tons Affected)
• Arab Revolutionary Council Israel (1978)
• Mercury on Oranges
• 12 People Affected, Orange Exports Decreased by
  40

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Agricultural Attacks in Wartime

• Germany WWI Glanders Allied Horses and
  Mules
• Japan WWII Rinderpest, Anthrax
• USA Vietnam Agent Orange
• USSR Afghanistan - Glanders

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Plant Diseases

• Characteristics
• Viruses, Bacteria or Fungi That Pose a Severe
  Threat To Important Crops
• Potential For Large Scale Crop Failure and
  Economic Harm
• Transmission
• Air (Fungi), Insect Vector (Virus), Water
  (Bacteria)

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Plant Diseases (cont.)

• List Changes Frequently
• Potential for Attack
• Low
• Direct Effect on Humans
• Almost None

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Plant Diseases in the Select Agent List
Source 7 CFR 331.3(a), supplemented with common
disease names as appropriate.
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Plant Disease -- Others

• Fungi
• Wheat Rust, Stripe Rust (Cereals), Rice Blast,
  Potato Blight
• Bacteria
• Rice Blight, Corn Blight

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Animal Diseases

• Characteristics
• Viruses and Bacteria That Have Potential For
  Rapid Spread With Serious Effects on Animals,
  Socioeconomic Impact and Public Health
  Consequences

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Animal Diseases

• Characteristics
• Transmission
• Airborne, Direct Contact or Fomite, Vector
• Potential Direct Human Effect
• Zoonoses
• Most Likely Target

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Livestock Diseases in the Select Agent List
Source 9 CFR 121.3(b) and (d), supplemented
with common disease names as appropriate. OIE
Classes include diseases affecting multiple
species (M), cattle/bovine (B), sheep and
goats/caprine (C), horses/equine (E), pigs/swine
(S), birds/avian (A), and rabbits/lagomorphs (L).
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Livestock Diseases in the Select Agent List cont.
Source 9 CFR 121.3(b) and (d), supplemented
with common disease names as appropriate. OIE
Classes include diseases affecting multiple
species (M), cattle/bovine (B), sheep and
goats/caprine (C), horses/equine (E), pigs/swine
(S), birds/avian (A), and rabbits/lagomorphs (L).
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Livestock Diseases in the Select Agent List cont.
Source 9 CFR 121.3(b) and (d), supplemented
with common disease names as appropriate. OIE
Classes include diseases affecting multiple
species (M), cattle/bovine (B), sheep and
goats/caprine (C), horses/equine (E), pigs/swine
(S), birds/avian (A), and rabbits/lagomorphs (L).
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Livestock Diseases in the Select Agent List cont.
Source 9 CFR 121.3(b) and (d), supplemented
with common disease names as appropriate. OIE
Classes include diseases affecting multiple
species (M), cattle/bovine (B), sheep and
goats/caprine (C), horses/equine (E), pigs/swine
(S), birds/avian (A), and rabbits/lagomorphs (L).
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Selected Diseases

• Potential Impact
• Economic
• Psychological
• Zoonotic Potential

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Foot and Mouth Disease

• Number 1 Potential Threat
• High Morbidity, Low Mortality
• Super Contagious
• Viral
• Cloven Hoofed Animals

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Foot and Mouth Disease

• Not a Zoonosis
• Painful, Debilitating Oral and Limb Lesion
• Devastating Productivity Losses

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Foot and Mouth Disease

• U.S. Outbreak Estimates
• U.K. Sized Outbreak in U.S.
• 7.5 Million Animals
• 10.4 to 33.6 Billion Economic Impact
• Single Source Attack
• 5 Days (Recognition) 23 States
• 8 Days 29 States and 23 Million Animals
• Neither Valid Terror Multiple Attacks

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Brucellosis
Brucella Abortus, Etc.

• Zoonotic Disease
• Animals
• Fever, Decreased Production, Abortion
• Many Species

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Brucellosis (cont.)
Brucella Abortus, Etc.

• Humans
• Fever, Sweats, Malaise
• Undulant Fever, Abortion, Epididymo-Orchitis
• Transmission Broken Skin, Raw Milk, Aerosol

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Glanders
Burkholderia Mallei

• Zoonotic Disease
• Animals
• Horses, Mules, Occasional Cat/Dog
• Nasal Ulcers/Discharge, Skin Nodules (Drain),
  Cough, Pneumonia

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Glanders (cont.)
Burkholderia Mallei

• Humans
• Fever, Malaise, Chest Pain, Skin Lesions (Papulo
  - Pustules)
• Transmission Mucus Membranes (Nasal, Oral),
  Inhalation, Skin
• Case Fatality Up to 50 - Inhalation

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Q Fever
Coxiella burnetti

• Zoonotic Disease Highly Contagious
• Animals
• Wide Variety of Species Sheep and Goats
• Endemic, Minimal Signs, Abortion

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Q Fever (cont.)
Coxiella burnetti

• Humans
• Fever, Malaise, Myalgia, Pneumonitis, Abortion
• Infection Raw Milk, Reproductive Fluids
• Mortality Rate lt 1
• Genetic Manipulation?

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Nipah Virus
Paramyxovirus

• Zoonotic Disease
• Animals
• Swine, Dogs ? Cats ? Horses ? Fruit Bats ?
• Respiratory (Young), Neurologic (Old)
• Outbreak Malaysia 1999
• 1 Month 800,000 Pigs Slaughtered

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Nipah Virus (cont.)
Paramyxovirus

• Humans
• Febrile Encephalitis
• 265 Human Cases and 111 Human Deaths (Malaysia)
• Thousands of Refugees
• Close Contact with Swine
• Potential Threat Emerging

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Food Safety Threats (CDC)

• Botulism
• E. Coli 0157H7
• Salmonella
• Shigella dysenteriae Type 1
• Typhoid Fever
• Vibrio Cholera

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Food Contamination

• Terrorism Potential High
• Pre-harvest and Harvest Susceptible
• Practicality?

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Food Contamination - Examples

• 1984 Oregon Salmonella
• Easily Executed
• Limited Effect
• Goal Failed
• 1990-1995 Japan Aum Shinrikyo Botulism
• 3 Attempts Tokyo U.S. Bases
• All Failed

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Food Contamination - Examples

• E. Coli
• December 2006 Taco Bell
• Field Contaminated Lettuce
• Source Dairy Farms (2) Central Valley,
  California
• 3 States, 81 Cases,
  26 Hospitalized,
  2 Hemolytic Uremic
  Syndrome (HUS)

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Food Contamination - Examples

• E. Coli
• Fall 2006 Spinach Natural Selection Foods
• Field Contamination California
• 26 States, 199 Cases, 102 Hospitalized, 31 HUS, 3
  Died

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Animals as Sentinels

• Indicate Outbreak or Ongoing Risk
• Communication Veterinarian/Human Health Provider
• Anthrax Sheep, Cattle
• Plague Cats
• Glanders - Horses

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Local Recognition

• Disease Problem and Recognition By Farmer or
  Veterinarian, Individual or Herd Outbreak
• Area-Wide Outbreak
• Federally Accredited Veterinary Training and
  Reporting

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Prevention Farm Security

• Guidelines and Checklist USDA (see
  references)
• General Security
• Livestock, Crops, Greenhouses
• Animal Identification
• Access Control
• Awareness and Observation

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Response Teams

• Animal Emergencies
• State Animal Response Team (SART)
• County Animal Response Team (CART)
• EMTs Increasing Training in Animal Related
  Emergencies

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Federal Resources

• Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
  (APHIS)
• Border and Port Inspections
• Plum Island Animal Disease Center (Long Island)
• Ames, Iowa Consolidated Laboratory Center

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Federal Lab Networks

• Lab Response Network
• National Plant Diagnostic Network
• National Animal Health Laboratory Network
• Food Emergency Response Network

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FEMA

• National Bio-surveillance Integrated System
• 24-hour, 7-day
• Identify, Recognize and Disseminate Information
  on All Biological Threats

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Pennsylvania - PAIRS

• Coordinated Network for Reporting and
  Communication
• Interagency Linkage
• Rapid Response
• PDA, DOH, DEP, PEMA, PGC

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PA Dept. of Agriculture (PDA)

• Regional Offices
• Diagnostic Labs
• Bureau of Plant Industry
• Plant Diseases
• Pesticide Safety

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PDA Regional Map
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PDA Regional Offices
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Local Contacts

• Food Animal Veterinarians
• County Agents
• County Health Department

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Contact Points

• Human Health/Bioterrorism
• PA Department of Health
• 1-877-724-3258
• 717-737-5349 emergency/after hours
• www.health.state.pa.us
• Local Health Department
• Click on Local Health Centers from PA DOH
  website.

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PA Dept. of Health

• 6 District Offices
• 10 County/Municipal Health Departments

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? DISTRICT OFFICES
County Health Departments
Municipal Health Departments
? State Health Centers
n
Northcentral
Northeast
Northwest
Erie
l
Tioga
Bradford
l
l
McKean
l
Warren
Wayne
l
Crawford
Susquehanna
Potter
l
l
Forest
l
Elk
l
Sullivan
Venango
Cameron
l
Lackawanna
Mercer
Wyoming
Lycoming
v
v
l
l
v
l
Clinton
l
Pike
l
n
Wilkes-Barre
l
Luzerne
WILLIAMSPORT
JACKSON CENTER
l
l
Jefferson
WILKES-BARRE
Clearfield
Clarion
Columbia
Monroe
l
Montour
l
l
l
l
l
Lawrence
Centre
l
Union
Carbon
l
l
l
Northampton
Butler
Northumberland
Snyder
l
l
Armstrong
Lehigh
Bethlehem
n
l
l
Beaver
Indiana
n
Allentown
Schuylkill
l
l
l
l
Allegheny
Juniata
v
Cambria
Mifflin
Dauphin
l
l
l
l
v
l
Berks
PITTSBURGH
v
Westmoreland
Blair
Perry
Bucks
l
l
Lebanon
l
Huntingdon
l
l
READING
HARRISBURG
l
Montgomery
Washington
Cumberland
l
l
l
Chester
Fayette
Fulton
Greene
l
York
Philadelphia
Lancaster
l
Adams
l
l
l
l
Somerset
Delaware
Bedford
l
l
Franklin
n
York
Southeast
Southcentral
Southwest
Rev 1/07
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PA DOH Contacts
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Contact Points

• PEMA Emergency Incident Reporting System
• 717-651-2001
• www.pema.state.pa.us
• CDC - Center for Disease Control
• 1-888-232-6348
• www.cdc.gov

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Contact Points

• Animal or Plant Disease
• PA Dept. of Agriculture
• 717-772-2852 or 717-783-2200 24-hr
• www.agriculture.state.pa.us
• PA SART
• 1-888-550-7862
• USDA
• 1-800-601-9327 or 1-800-940-6524 24-hr

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Quick References

• PA Department of Health
• 877-724-3258
• PA Department of Agriculture
• 717-783-2200
• CDC
• 888-232-6348
• USDA
• 800-940-6524