CIA and US Army preparing for outbreak of virus in USA

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FOOT-MOUTH LIKELY TO TROT HERE: EXPERT

By BRIAN BLOMQUIST

April 18, 2001 -- WASHINGTON - The chances are "quite great" that foot-and-mouth disease will hit the United States, and the feds - including the CIA - are bracing for it, the director of the federal lab in New York that tests for the disease said yesterday.

In the event of an outbreak, the Federal Emergency Management Agency is prepared to order numerous government agencies to take drastic steps to eradicate the disease, which mostly affects cows, pigs and sheep.

The agencies held an emergency "exercise" last week to go over the game-plan for responding to foot-and-mouth.

The CIA, the Army biological warfare unit, the Coast Guard and the Interior Department are all involved.

The agencies determined that if the disease broke out in four states, it would take 50,000 people - including military personnel to keep people out, and operators of earth-moving equipment to bury cadavers - to contain the outbreak.

"You always have to be prepared, just in case. That's what we do," said Kevin Herglotz, spokesman for the USDA, which is taking the lead on monitoring borders to keep the disease out of the country.

FEMA spokeswoman Holly Harrington said an outbreak of foot-and-mouth would likely prompt President Bush to declare an "emergency," which would allow FEMA to move more quickly to respond - and with more leeway.

David Huxsoll, director of the only U.S. lab that tests for foot-and-mouth, said chances are "quite great" that it will hit the United States because the disease is epidemic in Britain and there's a great deal of travel between the two countries.

"It's only through the diligence of the people at the various ports of entry that we've been able to keep it out. I'll have to add also luck," said Huxsoll, director of the USDA's Plum Island lab off Long Island.

The Agriculture Department recently added 1,000 inspectors to ports, and the United States has banned imports of livestock and raw meat from Europe.

North America is one of only three continents to remain free of the disease - along with Australia and Antarctica - and hasn't had a case since 1929, according to the Plum Island lab.

The foot-and-mouth virus is highly contagious, carried by wheels, wind and feet. It causes fever and blisters on the animals it strikes. Although it doesn't affect people, humans do spread it. CIA and US Army preparing for outbreak of virus in USA

-- (A mind is a terrible thing@2 waste.com), April 18, 2001

Answers

What a bunch of bunk. Looks like the US is going to do the same thing as the idiots in Europe, kill more animals than the virus would kill. Why not just vaccinate the heards now? It would have to be less expensive than kill large protions of these heards.

From all places, Canada: People can be infected through skin wounds or the oral mucosa by handling diseased stock, the virus in the laboratory, or by drinking infected milk, but not by eating meat from infected animals. The human infection is temporary and mild. FMD is not considered a public health problem.

The incubation period is 2-21 days (average 3-8) although virus is shed before clinical signs develop. The rate of infection (morbity) can reach 100%, however mortality can range from 5% (adults) to 75% (suckling pigs and sheep). Recovered cattle may be carriers for 18 to 24 months; sheep for 1 to 2 months. Pigs are not carriers

Compiled from "Foot-and-Mouth Disease Strategy" Agriculture and Agri- Food Canada, November 1994.

Let's get a grip here and not over react.

Freedom is Chaos, give it to me anyway! - OnChaos

-- you guess! (candor@intelos.net), April 18, 2001.


NWO orchestrated food shortage on the way. State of "national emergency" soon to follow. Then, more and more suspension of our civil rigits, just as is occuring in England now. Get ready!!!

-- Just Say No (to@the.NWO), April 18, 2001.

Followed by cascading cross defaults...

-- Enlightenment (gone@away.now), April 18, 2001.

David Huxsoll, director of the only U.S. lab that tests for foot-and-mouth, said chances are "quite great" that it will hit the United States because the disease is epidemic in Britain and there's a great deal of travel between the two countries.

David is competent, but I wouldn’t consider him either an epidemiologist or a prophet. An outbreak here is possible, but "quite great" is a little overblown.

The meeting is merely contingency planning. It is necessary.

One small note, F&M can infect and be carried by some rodents [hence no longer H&M].

Hmm, no F&M in Antarctica, I wonder why. It is obvious that the Antarcticans started the whole epidemic. A conspiracy of penguins.

Best Wishes,,,,

Z

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), April 18, 2001.


Vaccination is not an easy way out.1 in 5 vaccinations don't take,the virus can change from one year to the next,and there is a big question as to whether the public would accept meat & dairy products coming from innoculated animals.The FMD free status in world markets is also compromised.

Rendering down plants in UK can't cope with the numbers of dead animals UK figures are talking about 1.5 million carcasses at the moment.Burying such numbers has ecological consequences..in particular subsequent ground water purity. Give me a break !

-- Chris (across the pond@griffenmill.com), April 19, 2001.



Z,

What do you think is really going on with regards to this crisis? Experience has taught me that what the mainstream press tells us is never the whole truth and often not the truth at all. Is this possibly a new and more virulent form of the Hoof & Mouth Virus? Do you think that it might have been deliberately released? Are the panicky measures being taken in England really the best or only solution. It seems like madness to kill so many healthy animals like they are doing, and trampling all over people's basic civil rights at the same time. Is this what we have in store for America? They seem to be so certain that it will arrive here soon.

-- Concerned Citizen (are@we.really.next???), April 19, 2001.


'Do you think that it might have been deliberately released?'

That, my friend, is a loaded question to a few on this board.......

Deano

-- Deano (deano@luvthebeach.com), April 19, 2001.


Wouldn't it be Flipper and Mouth disease then, Z?

-- Tarzan the Ape Man (tarzan@swingingthroughthejunglewithouta.net), April 19, 2001.

Tar:

Wouldn't it be Flipper and Mouth disease then, Z?

Unless chickens have grown lips, it would be flipper and beak disease. *<)))

Concerned:

Don't know. I just got home. I haven't seen any real data. You have asked a complicated question. You need to see the data to reach a conclusion. I can tell you that you won't find the data on public web sites.

Best Wishes,,,,,

Z

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), April 19, 2001.


Z--

Since you refer to him as David, do you know Dr. Huxsoll personally? If so, would you mind explaining why you don't consider him an epidemiologist or competent to assess the risk of foot-and-mouth disease coming to the U.S.? If you know his resume, could you list his training and qualifications?

Also, to "Concerned Citizen" and "Deano"--U.K. newspapers reported a few weeks ago that a vial of a newly developed (and more contagious) strain of foot-and-mouth disease disappeared from a UK research lab about two months before the current outbreak. The former director of our Plum Island lab (i.e., Dr. Huxsoll's predecessor) recently said that our main concern is that the disease will be spread here by bioterrorists.

-- Wondering (moreinformation@please.com), April 20, 2001.



Wondering:

Since you refer to him as David, do you know Dr. Huxsoll personally? If so, would you mind explaining why you don't consider him an epidemiologist or competent to assess the risk of foot-and-mouth disease coming to the U.S.? If you know his resume, could you list his training and qualifications?

Also, to "Concerned Citizen" and "Deano"--U.K. newspapers reported a few weeks ago that a vial of a newly developed (and more contagious) strain of foot-and-mouth disease disappeared from a UK research lab about two months before the current outbreak.

If you are talking about the David Huxsoll at Plum Island, I have met him. I consider him an honest, good scientist.

If you know his resume, could you list his training and qualifications? I have some of this information, but it is part of the grant review process and is considered confidential; some of us still honor our word.

If so, would you mind explaining why you don't consider him an epidemiologist or competent to assess the risk of foot-and-mouth disease coming to the U.S.? Not the information that I meant to convey. I took issue with the "quite great" statement. Evidently, you have never worked with the press. I simply meant to say that, scientifically, you could say that such a spread is possible, but "quite likely" is less scientific and more press developed. I haven't seen the information that supports the "quite likely" statement.

U.K. newspapers reported a few weeks ago that a vial of a newly developed (and more contagious) strain of foot-and-mouth disease disappeared from a UK research lab about two months before the current outbreak. Yeah, I have read them. The UK press, involved, at times, places sensationalism above fact. They could be correct, but I am waiting to see the facts. This is easy to determine. Let me restate: you won’t find the data on public web sites. It will be in copyrighted journals that you won’t be able to access unless you subscribe.

At the present time, I am involved in developing tracking and containment protocols for a large research organization. I don’t, really, have time to follow the details of this particular problem. Generally, it is clear that containment in a small country like the UK [we have counties larger than the UK] is more difficult than in a large country. Cattle and hog production is in flyover country. Everything on the coasts is minor. People coming from Europe flyover.

Best Wishes,,,,

Z

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), April 20, 2001.


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