Foot-and-Mouth Alert at SFO
By Corey Lyons
Contra Costa Newspapers
March 15, 2001
SAN FRANCISCO -- Fearing a potentially devastating virus, a squad of blue-gloved U.S. government inspectors greeted air travelers from Great Britain on Wednesday to scour their belongings for any traces of foot-and-mouth disease.
"They checked all my bags and I think that is perfectly reasonable," said Ireland professor Roy Crawford, making his way through San Francisco International Airport after his non-stop flight from London.
Foot-and-mouth, which poses little danger to humans, is an extremely contagious virus that strikes cloven-hoofed animals such as sheep, pigs and cows.
Federal officials believe the epidemic, which broke out in Britain last month and has recently spread to France, could cause billions of dollars in losses to the U.S. livestock industry if unchecked.
Tuesday, the United States banned imports of animals and animal products from the 15-country European Union as part of an aggressive crackdown to ensure that the disease does not reach this country.
With the new ban, inspectors will expand their checks on flights from the European Union, questioning more travelers who declare they are bringing in ruminate or swine products, or who check a box declaring they have spent time on a farm.
"It means don't bring that sausage home with you," Jim Rogers, a USDA spokesman, said. "It essentially covers all hard cheeses. Any cheese in liquid form is no good. Milk no good. Fresh or frozen meat is no good." As part of that defensive stance, the U.S. Agriculture Department began setting up disinfection stations at international airports to scrutinize luggage.
At San Francisco International, Customs inspectors are conducting detailed searches of about 10 percent of all travelers coming from Britain.
The task will be laborious. Six non-stop flights originating in the United Kingdom arrive in San Francisco each day, or nearly 2,500 passengers.
"If you start inspecting 2,500 people, we'll be in a serious logjam," said airport spokesman Ron Wilson. "This has not happened yet, but we're beginning to staff up for that potential."
Oakland International Airport, thus far, has been spared the extra scrutiny. The airport has only one flight from Europe, a Corsair flight from Paris, spokeswoman Cyndy Johnson said.
Wednesday, scores of passengers arriving in San Francisco from London watched as federal agents rummaged through their bulging suitcases and inquired about their whereabouts.
While fatigued travelers stood in a long line inside the new international terminal, officials placed their items on a short conveyor belt, routinely opening bags that piqued their interest. One inspector sliced open a bag of coffee to peek at its contents.
Some travelers, including one man from Saigon, had his shoes scrubbed with a brush dipped in a bath of bleach and water.
Any travelers who acknowledge that they have recently been on a farm, as the Saigon man had, were pulled aside for further questioning or in this case, cleaning. It was not known how the airplanes originating from the United Kingdom are cleaned to combat the virus.
"If you were running around in a cow pasture, they might want to inspect your shoes and spray you with a water-bleach solution," Rogers of the USDA said. "If you say, I got some bay leaf,' they probably let you pass.' If you say I got some raw cattle brain,' OK, you step over here.'"
Few travelers in San Francisco were upset by the intense inspections, crediting the widespread publicity about the dangerous virus.
"They didn't check our bags, but were very concerned about fruits and meats and asked very specific questions," said Van Hansen, arriving from London with his wife, Shauna. "The menu on the plane had filet mignon but in tiny letters it specified that the meat had been imported from Brazil and Argentina."
Foot-and-mouth disease has been eradicated from the United States since 1929. Still, officials are increasingly concerned about their ability to fight a virus that can easily latch onto a shoe or a piece of clothing and make a long journey across the Atlantic Ocean.
Phil Larussa, with the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service in Sacramento, said the threat of a spread from Europe is greater than other countries. "We think the risk of the spread is more so, just due to the nature of transportation and product moving back and forth," Larussa said.
"There are small possibilities that this virus could be harbored within the respiratory tract of a human being for a short time. We suggest they avoid for five days going out to livestock operations in the United States."
Contra Costa Newspapers
March 15, 2001
SAN FRANCISCO -- Fearing a potentially devastating virus, a squad of blue-gloved U.S. government inspectors greeted air travelers from Great Britain on Wednesday to scour their belongings for any traces of foot-and-mouth disease.
"They checked all my bags and I think that is perfectly reasonable," said Ireland professor Roy Crawford, making his way through San Francisco International Airport after his non-stop flight from London.
Foot-and-mouth, which poses little danger to humans, is an extremely contagious virus that strikes cloven-hoofed animals such as sheep, pigs and cows.
Federal officials believe the epidemic, which broke out in Britain last month and has recently spread to France, could cause billions of dollars in losses to the U.S. livestock industry if unchecked.
Tuesday, the United States banned imports of animals and animal products from the 15-country European Union as part of an aggressive crackdown to ensure that the disease does not reach this country.
With the new ban, inspectors will expand their checks on flights from the European Union, questioning more travelers who declare they are bringing in ruminate or swine products, or who check a box declaring they have spent time on a farm.
"It means don't bring that sausage home with you," Jim Rogers, a USDA spokesman, said. "It essentially covers all hard cheeses. Any cheese in liquid form is no good. Milk no good. Fresh or frozen meat is no good." As part of that defensive stance, the U.S. Agriculture Department began setting up disinfection stations at international airports to scrutinize luggage.
At San Francisco International, Customs inspectors are conducting detailed searches of about 10 percent of all travelers coming from Britain.
The task will be laborious. Six non-stop flights originating in the United Kingdom arrive in San Francisco each day, or nearly 2,500 passengers.
"If you start inspecting 2,500 people, we'll be in a serious logjam," said airport spokesman Ron Wilson. "This has not happened yet, but we're beginning to staff up for that potential."
Oakland International Airport, thus far, has been spared the extra scrutiny. The airport has only one flight from Europe, a Corsair flight from Paris, spokeswoman Cyndy Johnson said.
Wednesday, scores of passengers arriving in San Francisco from London watched as federal agents rummaged through their bulging suitcases and inquired about their whereabouts.
While fatigued travelers stood in a long line inside the new international terminal, officials placed their items on a short conveyor belt, routinely opening bags that piqued their interest. One inspector sliced open a bag of coffee to peek at its contents.
Some travelers, including one man from Saigon, had his shoes scrubbed with a brush dipped in a bath of bleach and water.
Any travelers who acknowledge that they have recently been on a farm, as the Saigon man had, were pulled aside for further questioning or in this case, cleaning. It was not known how the airplanes originating from the United Kingdom are cleaned to combat the virus.
"If you were running around in a cow pasture, they might want to inspect your shoes and spray you with a water-bleach solution," Rogers of the USDA said. "If you say, I got some bay leaf,' they probably let you pass.' If you say I got some raw cattle brain,' OK, you step over here.'"
Few travelers in San Francisco were upset by the intense inspections, crediting the widespread publicity about the dangerous virus.
"They didn't check our bags, but were very concerned about fruits and meats and asked very specific questions," said Van Hansen, arriving from London with his wife, Shauna. "The menu on the plane had filet mignon but in tiny letters it specified that the meat had been imported from Brazil and Argentina."
Foot-and-mouth disease has been eradicated from the United States since 1929. Still, officials are increasingly concerned about their ability to fight a virus that can easily latch onto a shoe or a piece of clothing and make a long journey across the Atlantic Ocean.
Phil Larussa, with the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service in Sacramento, said the threat of a spread from Europe is greater than other countries. "We think the risk of the spread is more so, just due to the nature of transportation and product moving back and forth," Larussa said.
"There are small possibilities that this virus could be harbored within the respiratory tract of a human being for a short time. We suggest they avoid for five days going out to livestock operations in the United States."
posted by Corey at 11:18 AM
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