Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Agent Analysis
It is important to note that the select agent list designates and regulates pathogens,
not diseases. Thus, the overlap list between APHIS and CDC is somewhat more
comprehensive than a disease-only list, particularly because certain pathogens may
not cause a disease,
per se
, but may cause symptoms such as food poisoning or cen-
tral nervous systems responses.
Some of the pathogens in the select agent list receive more attention than oth-
ers in discussions about agroterrorism. One reason is that the select agent list was
designed to regulate access to and handling of high-consequence pathogens, not
the diseases directly.
For example, the causative agent of BSE (or “mad cow disease”) is considered
dangerous enough to be a select agent, even though mad cow disease is less likely
to be a terrorist's choice than other diseases. With BSE, infection is not certain,
symptoms take years to manifest, and the disease may not be detected—all making
credit for an attack more doubtful.
On the other hand, foot and mouth disease (FMD) is probably the most fre-
quently mentioned disease when agroterrorism is discussed, because of its ease of
use, ability to spread rapidly, and potential for great economic damage. In testi-
mony before the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee on November 19, 2003,
Dr. Thomas McGinn of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture described
a simulation of an FMD attack by a terrorist at a single location. Only after the
fifth day of the attack would the disease be detected, by which time it may have
spread to 23 states. By the eighth day, 23 million animals may need to be destroyed
in 29 states.
Widespread animal diseases such as brucellosis, influenza, or tuberculosis receive
relatively less attention than FMD, hog cholera, or Newcastle disease. However,
emerging diseases such as Nipah virus, Hendra virus, and the H5N1 strain of avian
influenza (zoonotic diseases that have infected people, mostly in Asia) can be lethal
since vaccines are elusive or have not yet been developed.
Plant Pathogens
The Agricultural Bioterrorism Protection Act of 2002 (Subtitle B of P.L. 107-188)
also instructed APHIS and CDC to create the current official list of potential plant
pathogens. The federal government lists biological agents and toxins for plants in 7
CFR 331.3 (Table 16.2). The act requires that these lists be reviewed at least every
two years, and revised as necessary.
Prior to the act, there was not a commonly recognized list of the most danger-
ous plant pathogens, although several diseases were usually mentioned and are now
included in the APHIS select agent list.
The list of nine biological agents and toxins in 7 CFR 331.3 was compiled by the
Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) program in APHIS, in consultation with
