US Panic Of Terrorism Spreads Like Foot And Mouth Disease
US - It sounds like the plot of some deranged science fiction novel - Foot And Mouth terrorism - but this threat is ranked first on the USDA's list of terrorist dangers has officials in such a flutter that they have ordered a nationwide research study to prevent it.Livestock producer all over the country will be encouraged to to participate in an online survey created by the Centre For Animal Disease Modeling and Surveillance (CADMS), based in the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California. The survey will require answers to questions on animal movement and husbandry and the according data will be used to create a simulation model to predict the effects of an outbreak and provide information on how the outbreak can be quickly extinguished.
The reason for such dread of the disease becomes clearer when the disease is properly understood. FMD is one of the most highly contagious diseases affecting cloven-hoofed animals, such as cattle, swine, sheep, goats, and deer. An outbreak in the United Kingdom resulted in the slaughter of at least 6 million animals and catastrophic economic losses of more than $15 billion. In the U.S., the economic impact of such an outbreak could go as high as $13 billion and affect every segment of the livestock industry.
"It spreads so quickly and is easily transmitted, the threat of FMD to the U.S. is very serious, and we need to be prepared," said Dr Tim Carpenter, director of the study. “Our model will provide decision-makers with a valuable tool for rapid response and will help determine the best strategies, including vaccination, to contain an outbreak and minimize impact to the livestock industry.”
CADMS guarantees that all information will be kept confidential and used only for modeling purposes. The online survey can be found at: http://www.cadms.ucdavis.edu. North Carolina livestock producers are encouraged to participate. For more information, contact Pelayo Alvarez at (530) 554-2988.
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TheCattleSite News Desk