Final - Lecture 18 Flashcards
Terrorism
involves violence and the threat of violence
Bioterrorism
The use, or threatened use, of biological agents to promote or spread fear of intimidation upon an individual, a specific group, or the population for religious, political, ideological, financial, or personal purposes
What are the targets of biological agents?
plants, animals, people
Agroterrorism
Use, or threatened use, of biological, chemical, or radiological agents against some component of agriculture in a way to adversely impact the agriculture industry, economy, or the consuming public
What is the goal of agroterrorism?
cause economic crises in the agricultural and food industries, social unrest, and loss of confidence in government
The goal is to disrupt domestic and international trade and potentially damage domestic food supplies
Does agroterrorism harm ppl?
- odds of harming ppl are remote
- human health could be at risk through contaminated food or if the pathogen is zoonotic
What are clues used to identify agroterrorism?
- history of animals
- no commonality btw dead and live animals
- similar outbreaks in the region/country
- exotic disease/odd presentation
- common disease with high morbidity and mortality
- disease present in the wrong time of the yr
*when 2 or more of these items occur, it may be suggestive of an act of agroterrorism
What are 4 reasons for using agroterrorism, not bioterrorism?
- attack on crops or animals not as emotional as human targets
- less chance of retaliation - use of agent may go undetected for days to weeks
- plausible deniability
- no one would suspect it would occur
Why did the military stop using bioweapons?
- could not guarantee success and control
- more effective weapons (conventional and nuclear)
What are 5 desired outcomes of agroterrorism?
- potential for mass disruption
- weaken workforce
- destabilize gov - shocking public images
- loss of freedoms (movement of ppl and products)
- loss of consumer confidence
- “are these products safe” - increase food costs = trade embargos and potential food shortages
Who is affected by agroterrorism?
- Damage to local, regional and national economies
- loss in trade, embargos affect many products - Direct costs of control and eradication
- Other industries
- restaurants, suppliers, public entertainment
What makes livestock vulnerable to agroterrorism?
- density of animals
- mixing of animals (auctions), transport of animals, feedlots slaughter plants
- no previous immunity to exotic diseases
- difficult to acquire large # of vaccines or mass produce vaccines that could stop a disease outbreak
- centralized feed supply and distribution
- poor records of animals
- expanded international trade and travel
- poor monitoring at international borders (moving wild animals aross)
- poor biosecurity on-farm
- lack of foreign animal disease awareness
Why are auction markets such a hotspot for movement of disease?
- 185 647 cattle mix/yr in Alberta = great opportunity to introduce a bioweapon
- once sold animals are transported and mix with other animals or leave agent in truck as fomites
- at truck stops ppl or other animals contact the transporting livestock = carry disease to other distant location
What are 6 ways to help prevent agroterrorism?
- biosecurity including surveillance and reporting systems followed by rapid effective responses
- on the farm: good sanitation, restricted movement, know ppl and animals
- Local: control auction mkts, animal identification, control movemnt
- Regional: control movement, notification of local governing agencies, quarantine imports
- National: notifications of local governing agencies, quarantine imports, notify outbreaks to OIE
- Agencies involved: Canadian Food Inspection agency, Public Health Agency of Canada, Law enforcement + military
