U.S. hog industry worried about foot-and-mouth disease

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FARM SCENE: In Hog Country, Concern Remains High for Dreaded Viral Disease

By Estes Thompson Associated Press Writer

Published: Dec 31, 2001

GOLDSBORO, N.C. (AP) - As the nation comes to grips with bioterrorism, agriculture officials say foot-and-mouth disease is one additional threat that must be guarded against since the virus could easily be delivered by a terrorist. "Foot-and-mouth disease could be used as one of these billion-dollar bombs," said Dr. Tom McGinn, head of a security task force for the North Carolina Agriculture Department. "We've got to be prepared for the use of one of these diseases as a weapon."

An outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, which can be carried by unwitting visitors, infected animals or even the breeze, would be disastrous to the U.S. economy, agriculture officials say.

Pork exports could be shut down and the nation's other livestock industries would be greatly harmed. Having to embargo or quarantine could be disruptive to transportation and commerce. Tourism and other industries also likely would see losses.

Pork brings in $1.16 billion in North Carolina, second only to Iowa's $5 billion hog industry. A North Carolina State University study estimated the economic impact of an outbreak at $18.85 billion in the state.

Foot-and-mouth is highly communicable and attacks cattle, swine, sheep, goats, deer and other cloven-hooved animals. It isn't contagious to humans or other animals, such as horses, but can be spread by them.

Europe is still feeling the effects of a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak last spring that led to the slaughter of at least 631,000 animals. Damages in Great Britain alone exceeded $365 million.

The United States has been free of foot-and-mouth since 1929, when the last of nine U.S. outbreaks was eradicated, according to the Agriculture Department.

Regardless, many hog states in the U.S. have developed emergency plans and pork producers have responded by tightening access to their farms.

At Premium Standard Farms of Clinton, N.C., which raises 65,000 hogs, few visitors are allowed. The ones that get in are quizzed to determine if they have traveled to countries with foot-and-mouth.

"Even before Sept. 11, we were very watchful for strangers," said Bob Ivey, general manager of Goldsboro Hog Farms, which produces a million hogs a year.

Gates are locked at farms under Ivey's supervision and the rare visitor and vehicles are disinfected before entry.

In October, during the State Fair in Raleigh, agriculture and emergency officials practiced reacting to a case of foot-and-mouth. The "talk-through" drill simulated closing the fair, decontaminating every person inside and killing susceptible animals.

Iowa had a full-scale emergency exercise last summer.

North Carolina had a real-life test run in March, when inspectors found lesions on a dead hog at a packing plant. Hog company stock prices fell and touched off panic selling on the Chicago Board of Trade. Tests ultimately proved it was a false alarm.

Though plans are in place, it isn't clear whether North Carolina could actually manage a confirmed case.

Dr. David Marshall, the state veterinarian, estimates managing just one affected farm would cost more than $1 million, with help from the National Guard and law enforcement.

The state recently appropriated $1.1 million for various agriculture-related threats, but that included only $50,000 for foot-and-mouth. The money is to be used to train 250 volunteer veterinarians to help the 20 state vets during an outbreak.

State emergency plans for an outbreak were a high priority this past summer. Then came Sept. 11, and now foot-and-mouth "is just not on the radar screens of the public," North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Meg Scott Phipps said.

"Should an outbreak occur, we would be overwhelmed," Phipps said.

-- Anonymous, December 31, 2001


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