MEDIA ADVISORY- Anthrax and Biosecurity

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) has learned that Russia has banned imports of all meat from Florida, claiming that such meat could be contaminated with anthrax.

“This action primarily affects poultry exports, as Florida does not produce much beef for export to Russia,” said NCBA Chief Economist, Chuck Lambert. “The United States exports beef to Russia, but the beef from Florida is processed and shipped from other states.

“There is no scientific basis for this action,” said Lambert. “There is no risk to meat from a human anthrax occurrence.”

NCBA has been informed that the United States Department of Agriculture is discussing this action with Russia, attempting to resolve the issue and have the ban lifted.

SAFETY AND BIOSECURITY MEASURES ON THE RANCH

Some recent media stories have indicated that there is a food safety issue associated with anthrax, and/or that there is a biosecurity threat to cattle because of the human anthrax outbreak.

“There has never been a case of anthrax from eating USDA-inspected meat,” said NCBA Executive Director of Regulatory Affairs Dr. Gary Weber. “The risk of anthrax is eliminated before beef reaches consumers.

“Beef producers, with help from veterinarians, watch their animals very closely for any signs of illness,” said Weber. “Ranchers have a lifetime of experience at recognizing disease symptoms and taking the proper actions and precautions.”

NCBA has been in close contact with the government, and is advising cattle producers to carefully monitor visitors to their property and contact local authorities to report suspicious activities or intruders.

“It is always advisable for cattle producers to carefully watch their animals for intentional or unintentional hazards," said Dr. Weber.

ACTIONS BEING TAKEN TO PREVENT BIO-TERRORISM

A variety of measures are also being taken by the government to protect America’s livestock – and the food supply. These include:

· USDA’s distribution of approximately $2 million in grants to 32 states to bolster emergency animal disease prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery systems;

· One-time funding to the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) to begin developing the regulatory infrastructure for the Presidential Initiative to Counter Bioterrorism;

· Government funding to be applied to the development and licensure of vaccines, therapeutics and blood products to counter bioterrorism;

· A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention four step preparedness plan to counter bioterrorism;

· Legislation introduced by Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) -- the Bio-Security for Agriculture Act of 2001 -- that calls for spending of approximately $1.1 billion next year and approximately $271 million in each of the next 10 years on a program to fund modernization of government facilities, new security measures and training and implementation of bio-security procedures.

Resources for Information on Anthrax and the Livestock Industry

If you are interested in additional information on anthrax and the livestock industry, you may wish to check the following websites:

UC Davis & California Dept. of Food and Agriculture - anthrax veterinary information

http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/vetext/INF-DA_Anthrax.html

Animal Industry Foundation’s “vigilance is key” article

http://www.fass.org/Vigilance.htm

National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF)

“Top Ten Things Dairy Farmers Should Do to Protect Their Livestock from Infectious Diseases” and other materials… click on “Animal Health” after going to:

http://www.nmpf.org/govIssues/index.cfm

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Producer-directed and consumer-focused, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association is the trade association of America’s cattle farmers and ranchers, and the marketing organization for the largest segment of the nation’s food and fiber industry.