11/23/07 Being prepared for agroterrorism

Washington Ag November 23, 2007 Earlier this fall state animal health officials participated in a agro terrorism drill with federal officials including the FBI. Washington State Veterinarian Dr. Leonard Eldridge says the drill simulated terrorist spread foot and mouth disease on a dairy farm and was part of a week long training and education program. Eldridge: "The value here is working with the FBI in the case of a terrorist event or something like that. They then will need to collect samples to do an investigation and so forth and we need to know how to go in and contain the disease and do our testing, and do what we need to do without destroying their evidence. And they need to know the things they need to get done but don't spread the disease. In other words, we need to be working together, be shoulder to shoulder. This is the first time we worked with this level of law enforcement. I think it was a good thing." Eldridge believes that if foot and mouth disease ever shows up here it will be because of an act of terrorism not due to routine animal commerce. Eldridge: "Whether it be FMD or something else, folks that don't like us very well are looking for the weak spot. We don't need to be the weak spot." I'm Bob Hoff.