Economic considerations of agricultural diseases.

The U.S. livestock industry is among the most economically viable in the world, largely as a result of consistently excellent health status. This is due in no small measure to concerted efforts to exclude diseases present in many other areas of the world. The United States is free of most Office International des Epizooties " List A " diseases , all of which are so classified based on their potential for rapid spread and resulting socioeconomic consequences. The paucity of disease in the United States translates into increased productivity of our national herds, which in turn means lower prices for the consumer and greater profits for the producer. The American consumer pays the lowest percentage for food of any country in the world, approximately 12 cents/dollar 1 earned whereas in many other countries, the cost is as high as 50 or 60 cents/dollar. Another index of economic viability is the value of American livestock in the international marketplace. Many sectors of agriculture are driven by their ability to export and because of the general lack of disease, U.S. animals and animal-product export markets are very attractive and generate considerable economic transactions. All of this economic vitality is dependent on freedom from disease. A bioterrorist event could change the disease status of our national herd in a precipitous way with devastating results. The American public is generally unaware of this potential for economic ruin. To raise awareness in our public-policy makers on this issue will require a concerted and targeted effort. Whenever an unexpected disease enters the United States, both consumer and export markets are negatively affected. That is, a spreading disease increases prices at the supermarket, resulting in a pinch for the consumer and a simultaneous drop in export-market transactions. A brief examination of some of the literature concerning economics of foreign animal diseases provides insight into how a bioterrorism event could hit us square in the pocketbook and cause losses exponentially greater than what the general public might expect. 2 The last major foreign animal disease outbreak in the United States was a highly pathogenic avian influenza in 1983−1984. This outbreak was confined to a relatively small area encompassing parts of Pennsylvania and neighboring states, but nevertheless was the most costly and extensive eradication effort in our history. In six months, all infected chickens were depopulated and premises decontaminated, with a price tag of US$63 million paid by the …