Foot and Mouth Disease is extremely contagious and can survive in fresh beef after slaughtering an animal. Humans do not contract the disease but can carry it on their clothes and in their nostrils. A 1914 outbreak affected 170,000 head of cattle, sheep, and swine and a 1924 outbreak required the slaughter of 109,000 farm animals. It is such a devastating disease that carries such a high economic threat that U.S. officials are aware of its potential as a weapon of mass destruction. The U.S. was successful in eradicating the disease over 80 years ago but countries around the world are still dealing with outbreaks. Just before Christmas in December 2013 the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) proposed importing fresh beef from Brazil where the disease is still active caused a backlash among those within the industry stating that the risks to the U.S. herd outweigh any possible economic benefits. The USDA states that it would limit imports to beef from Brazilian states that have had no recent cases of the disease and that Brazil has the infrastructure and response capabilities to contain the disease in the case of an outbreak. If the disease reaches the U.S. herd, the U.S. would then be designated a food-and-mouth-positive country and would have to stop exporting beef costing the industry billions of dollars. The USDA will have an open comment period until April 22nd at which point the proposal will either be amended or withdrawn.
To receive relevant news stories with summaries provided by GAI Research & Insight, subscribe to Global AgDevelopments, our free bi-weekly enhanced eNews service