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Emergency Responder Sensitive

UNDERSTANDING THE DANGERS OF

AGROTERRORISM

Public Policy and Biological ThreatsPublic Policy and Biological ThreatsIGCC/AAAS Wye River Biosecurity Workshop

August 14-16, 2006

http://wifss.ucdavis.edu


UNDERSTANDING THE DANGERS OF AGROTERRORISM

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Agroterrorism - Defined Agroterrorism is defined as an intentional criminal

act perpetrated on some segment of the agriculture industry and/or the food system, intended to inflict harm (public health crisis or economic disruption) and to achieve the objectives of the terrorist.




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Tommy Thompson, former Secretary of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2004)

“For the life of me, I cannot understand why the terrorists have not attacked our food supply, because

it is so easy to do.”




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HSPD 7: Critical Infrastructure Identification, Prioritization and Protection Established a national policy to identify and prioritize

U.S. critical infrastructure

Identified agriculture as one of the critical infrastructure components that must be protected from terrorist attack

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HSPD 7: Critical Infrastructure Identification, Prioritization and Protection

Critical infrastructure is defined as:

“…those systems and assets, whether physical or virtual, so vital to the United States that the incapacity or destruction of such systems and assets would have a debilitating impact on security, national economic security, national public health or safety, or any combination of those matters.”




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HSPD-9: Defense of U.S. Agriculture and Food (January 30, 2004)

Established “a national policy to defend the agriculture and food system against terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other emergencies”

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Food-System Vulnerability and the Costs of an Agroterrorism Event The United States' agricultural and food systems are

vulnerable to nearly any type of terrorist attack and to a wide spectrum of “natural disasters” – not just to agroterrorism.

These events can cripple capacity to deliver safe, affordable food in sufficient amounts for the U.S. populace.

The negative impact may spread across the nation and well beyond U.S. borders to other nations.




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Agroterrorism

☠ Many different plant or animal pathogens can cause damage or loss of production.

☠ Some pathogens cause disease (death) in both humans and animals (zoonotic diseases).

☠ Food or water can carry diseases, poisons and toxins to people, causing illness or death.

☠ All agroterrorism will cause significant psychological impact.




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Prions (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) or mad cow disease)

Bacterial pathogens

Viral pathogens

Fungal pathogens

Parasitic pathogens

Biologically produced toxins

Genetically modified organisms

Biological




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Threat Classification ListsThreat Classification Lists

Two biological threat classification lists Two biological threat classification lists used when discussing biological terrorist used when discussing biological terrorist threats are published by:threats are published by:– Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

(CDC)(CDC)– World Health Organization for AnimalsWorld Health Organization for Animals——

formerly the Office International des Epizooties formerly the Office International des Epizooties (OIE) (OIE)




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CDC and OIE ListsCDC and OIE Lists

Potential for use in an agroterrorism Potential for use in an agroterrorism attack attack

An agent could be chosen if:An agent could be chosen if:– It is easily obtainableIt is easily obtainable– It is easily culturedIt is easily cultured– It is easily dispersedIt is easily dispersed– It causes illness and death in target animal or It causes illness and death in target animal or

human populationshuman populations– It causes economic hardship to a It causes economic hardship to a

community/nationcommunity/nation– It has been previously weaponizedIt has been previously weaponized




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CDC ListCDC List

Category A, B or CCategory A, B or C 57% of the CDC’s Category A and 100% 57% of the CDC’s Category A and 100%

of CDC’s Category B agents are zoonoticof CDC’s Category B agents are zoonotic Zoonotic means that the biological agent Zoonotic means that the biological agent

can be easily transmitted between can be easily transmitted between animals and humans animals and humans




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CDC Category A ListCDC Category A List

Includes high-priority agents that pose a risk Includes high-priority agents that pose a risk to national security because they:to national security because they:– Can be easily disseminated or transmitted from Can be easily disseminated or transmitted from

person to personperson to person– Result in high mortality rates and have the Result in high mortality rates and have the

potential for major public health impactpotential for major public health impact– Might cause public panic and social disruption Might cause public panic and social disruption – Require special action for public health Require special action for public health

preparednesspreparedness




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CDC Category A AgentsCDC Category A Agents Anthrax (Anthrax (Bacillus anthracisBacillus anthracis)) Botulism (Botulism (Clostridium botulinumClostridium botulinum toxin) toxin) Plague (Plague (Yersinia pestisYersinia pestis) ) Smallpox (Smallpox (Variola majorVariola major) ) Tularemia (Tularemia (Francisella tularensisFrancisella tularensis) ) Viral hemorrhagic fevers (Ebola, Marburg, Viral hemorrhagic fevers (Ebola, Marburg,

Lassa, Machupo)Lassa, Machupo)Anthrax, tularemia, plague and botulinum toxin are especially well suited for use in agroterrorism.




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CDC Category B Diseases/AgentsCDC Category B Diseases/Agents

Moderately easy to disseminateModerately easy to disseminate Result in moderate morbidity rates and Result in moderate morbidity rates and

low mortality rateslow mortality rates Require enhanced diagnostic capacity Require enhanced diagnostic capacity

and disease surveillanceand disease surveillance

ExamplesExamples– BrucellosisBrucellosis– Salmonella, E.coli 0157, ShigellaSalmonella, E.coli 0157, Shigella




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InhalationInhalation: Primary route for chemical : Primary route for chemical and biological weaponsand biological weapons

IngestionIngestion: consumption of : consumption of contaminated food or watercontaminated food or water

AbsorptionAbsorption: Absorbed through the skin : Absorbed through the skin and/ or the eyesand/ or the eyes

InjectionInjection: Either via a needle or by an : Either via a needle or by an insectinsect

WMD Routes of ExposureWMD Routes of Exposure




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WMD Methods of DisseminationWMD Methods of Dissemination

Biological and chemical WMD can beBiological and chemical WMD can bedisseminated through various routesdisseminated through various routesincluding:including:

– Spraying devicesSpraying devices– Bursting or exploding devicesBursting or exploding devices– FomitesFomites– Vectors Vectors




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Chemical Agents Nerve gas Pesticides Dioxins, furans and

PCBs Blood agents (not in

plants) Blister agents Heavy metals Volatile toxins

Pulmonary agents Corrosive industrial

acids and bases Incapacitating agents Explosive-nitro

compounds Flammable industrial

gases & liquids




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FMD poses a great concern in terms of agroterrorism, as it is easily obtainable, highly infectious and easily dispersed.

FMD does not pose a significant human health concern, but would cause a serious economic impact if an outbreak occurred in this country.

Other likely impacts would be psychological and emotional.

Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD)




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50,000 gallons of milk

Btox-A

Holding Tank at Dairy

Transport to Processing Plant

Btox/ml milk

• Assuming 5 LD50 to kill 100% (toxic dose 1ng /kg-bw)

• 70 kg person need only drink 175 ml for lethal dose.

• At this dose, this milk-delivery would provide over 1.2 million lethal doses1.2 million lethal doses

• Btox is accumulative---so lethal dose could be taken in over several days.

PUBLIC HEALTH HARMPUBLIC HEALTH HARMINFRASTRUCTURAL DAMAGE

EXAMPLE: Highly Infectious Animal Disease – “Foot & Mouth Disease”

Costs of FMD in Southern California range from

$4.3 billion - $13.5 billion

FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE (FMD)FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE (FMD)




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Example: Highly concentrated and large feedlots, e.g. 1.8% of feedlots produce 90.2% of cattle

Large-Scale Contamination or Exposure

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