Agricultural Bioterrorism: Preparing, and Preventing it

Dr. John Sanders DVM, DACVPM

February 22, 2007

Jonesboro, Arkansas

Please put all electronic communication devices on

silent or vibrate

Outline

• Is Agricultural Bioterrorism new?

• What is stake?

• What is being done?

• What regulations did FDA develop as a result of the Bioterrorism Preparedness act of 2002

What is Agricultural Bioterrorism?

The use, or threatened use, of biological (to include toxins), chemical, or radiological

agents against some component of agriculture in such a way as to adversely

impact the agriculture industry or any component thereof, the economy, or the

consuming public.

Is Agricultural Bioterrorism new?

• No• Military weapons (troops / Civilians

– Use of ergot to poison wells in the 6th century BC

– Athenian poisoning of Kirrha (590 B.C.)– Use of Harlequin bug against confederate

crops in the 1860’s– World War II Japan uses B. anthracis,

Shigella spp, V. Cholera, S. paratyphi, and Y. Pestis against the China and Manchuria

Agricultural Bioterrorism - examples

• Terrorist / Criminal acts– Estranged roommate infects roommates with

visceral larva migrans -1970– Use of Salmonella sp on a salad bar by the

Rajneesh cult-1984– Discovery of cyanide in grapes from Chile in

1989– Wife poisons husband with Ricin 1995– Lab Technician infects 12 co-workers with

S. dysenteria laced pastries 1996

Review done by Carus of 20th century events

• 222 cases were documented• 24 confirmed use• 28 probable or possible use• 11 threatened use (probable or confirmed

possession• 121 threatened use ( no confirmed poison)• 5 confirmed possession• 6 probable or possible possession• 13 possible interest in acquisition• 14 false case or hoaxes

What is stake?

• Food and fiber accounts for ~16.4% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

• 24 million Americans are employed in some aspect of agriculture

• Heavily tied to other industries and sectors

What is stake? (continued)

• Food sector a huge economic engine: $1.24 trillion/year

• •Food system complexity makes contamination a real risk

• –2,128,000 farms• –30,000 food manufacturing sites (94,000

foreign)• –19,000 re-packers/packers (87,000 foreign)• –224,000 retail food stores• –565,000 food service outlets

U.S. Exports, 2001

Soybeans $5 billion Beef/veal $2.6 billion

Corn for grain $4.5 billion Poultry (meat)

$1.6 billion

Wheat $3.2 billion Dairy products

$1.1 billion

Tobacco $1.2 billion Pork $1 billion

Non-animal exports

$40.5 billion Eggs $189 mil

Cattle (live) $271 mil

Animal exports = $12.2 billion

Total agriculture exports = $52.7 billion

Public Health Issues

• Several zoonotic diseases– Many diseases have human health

consequences ( Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7, SARS?, NIPAH)

• Human only pathogens– Shigella– Hepatitis A– Norovirus

NIPAH and E. coli O157:H7

What is being done ?• To Detect

• To Deter

• To Prevent

Food Safety and Defense

`

Sound ScienceSound Science

Food Safety ProgramsFood Safety Programs

Food Defense EnhancementsFood Defense Enhancements -Industry and Consumer Guidance-Industry and Consumer Guidance

Supply Chain

Detection

• Syndromic Surveillance

• Biowatch

• Food Net

• Laboratory Networks

Public Health System

Primarily a state/local system with reporting to federal agencies.

Federal Agencies provide support when requested

Foodborne illness outbreak responses highly variable across jurisdictions

Primarily treatment/response and investigation to prevent repeat outbreaks

Outbreak intervention capabilities limited

Detection and Deterrence

Food Emergency Response Network– Food Emergency response Laboratories

• Working with DHS, USDA, CDC

Deter/Prevent•Guidance to Industry

– Drafts Published 1/9/02; Final 3/19/03• Processors• Importers

– Drafts Published 3/19/03• Retail• Cosmetics

– Milk Security Guidance; Final 7/11/03– www.fda.gov

Preventation

• ALERT ( see graphic below)

• www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/alert.html

Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002

www.fda.gov/oc/bioterrorism/bioact.htm

• Sec. 303 - Administrative Detention• Sec. 305 – Registration• Sec. 306 (b) – Establishment and

Maintenance of Records (Traceback)• Sec. 307 - Prior Notice• Sec. 313 – Zoonotic Surveillance

Sec. 303 - Administrative Detention

• Administrative detention: provides the FDA expanded authority for detaining food products if there is “credible evidence or information indicating the article presents a threat of serious adverse health consequences or death to humans or animals.”

• Fact sheet can be found at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fsbtac21.html

Sec. 305 – Registration

• Registration of firms that manufactures, processes, packs, or holds food. Information required includes the name and location of facilities, product trade names, and general food categories.

• Fact sheet- http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fsbtac12.html

Section 306 - Records

• Currently a Proposed Rule• Who is covered :Domestic persons that

manufacture, process, pack, transport, distribute, receive, hold or import food intended for human or animal consumption in the U. S. and foreign facilities that manufacture, process, pack or hold food intended for human or animal consumption in the U.S.

• Fact Sheet- http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fsbtac23.html

Section 306- cont.

• What records must be established and maintained – Identify the immediate non-transporter previous sources of all

foods received – Identify the immediate non-transporter subsequent recipients of

all foods released

• How long must the records be retained? – Perishable foods – 1 year– Non Perishable foods- 2 years

• Fact Sheet - http://www.fda.gov/oc/bioterrorism/records_fs.html

Sec. 307 - Prior Notice

• Prior notification of all imported food shipments into the United States. Requires that notification be provided prior to entry into the United States

• Failure to notify will result in a refusal of shipments to enter the United States, and failure to disclose relevant information could also result in a refusal of permission to advance to a port of entry.

• Fact sheet - http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fsbtac13.html

Examples

Of Outreach

Materials

Available

On FDA’s

Website

Next steps – Food Security, Safety, and defense

• Interagency cooperation

• Industry awareness, coordination, and cooperation

• Consumer awareness

Additional information at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/defterr.html

Any questions?