The United Kingdom and Taiwan  followed this process in 2001 and 1997, respectively. According to USDA officials, a single case of FMD in the United States  would cause our trading partners to prohibit U.S. exports of live animals  and animal products. In the United Kingdom, according to  government estimates, the 2001 outbreak resulted in losses to the tourism  industry of over $5 billion that were comparable to the losses sustained by  the food and agriculture sector. USDA Is Responsible for Protecting U.S. Livestock From FMD and Other Animal Diseases

Within USDA, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has  the lead responsibility for protecting the nation’s livestock from foreign  animal diseases, which are diseases not native to the United States as well  as those thought to have been eradicated. Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

Senator Tom Daschle asked us to determine whether (1) U.S. processes to  obtain and disseminate information on foreign FMD outbreaks are  adequate and timely, (2) U.S. measures for preventing FMD from entering  the country are effective and comparable with those of other selected  countries, and (3) the United States could respond quickly and effectively  to an outbreak of FMD if it were to occur. USDA Has Adequate Processes to Obtain Information on Foreign FMD Outbreaks, but Dissemination to Customs Can Be Improved

USDA relies on a wide variety of sources to obtain information on  outbreaks of FMD overseas. Nevertheless, the United  States remains vulnerable to an FMD outbreak because of the nature of the  virus, the many pathways by which it can come into the country, and the  growing magnitude and volume of both legal and illegal passengers and  cargo entering the country. By helping other nations eradicate or control these  outbreaks, USDA reduces the risk of agricultural pests and diseases  reaching U.S. borders. USDA has staff located in Mexico working  with the Mexico-United States Commission for the Prevention of Foot and  Mouth Disease and Other Exotic Animal Diseases. When FMD strikes other nations—as it did recently, for example, in  Argentina and the United Kingdom—the United States may assist in  controlling and eradicating the disease. For each of these pathways, USDA has developed  and implemented specific preventive measures described below. APHIS officials inspect farm equipment at U.S. ports of entry  to ensure that it is free from dirt and soil. United States Remains Vulnerable to FMD

The United States has not had an outbreak of FMD since 1929, and some  USDA officials and animal health experts believe that this healthy  condition of U.S. livestock is directly related to the effectiveness of U.S.  measures to prevent the incursion of the disease. International mail. The  main geographical spread of the disease occurred before any suspicion that  the disease was present in the country. The persons able to access this information.
What GAO Found

The 2001 outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in the United Kingdom decisively illustrated the devastation that this highly contagious animal disease can cause to a nation's economy. By the time the disease was eradicated, the United Kingdom had slaughtered more than 4 million animals and sustained losses of $5 billion in the food and agricultural sectors, as well as comparable losses to its tourism industry. Before 2001, the United Kingdom had been FMD-free for almost 34 years. Following the outbreak, the country was generally barred from participating in the international trade of live animals and animal products that could transmit the virus. The United States has adequate processes for obtaining information on foreign FMD outbreaks and providing the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and others with this information, but it lacks adequate processes for sharing this information with the Customs Service. The United States receives information on FMD outbreaks from USDA officials stationed abroad, international agricultural and animal health organizations, and foreign governments. These officials collect a wide array of agricultural and animal health information about the countries and regions in which they are stationed, which ensures that the United States has timely access to information on foreign FMD outbreaks. However, USDA's processes for disseminating information on foreign FMD outbreaks are uneven. U.S. measures to prevent the introduction of FMD are comparable to those used by other countries and have kept the United States free of the the disease for 75 years. Nevertheless, because of the nature of the disease and the risk inherent in the ever-increasing volume of international travel and trade, U.S. livestock remains vulnerable to the disease. USDA has a two-pronged approach to prevent FMD from reaching U.S. livestock. USDA tries to keep FMD as far as possible from U.S. borders by helping other countries control and eradicate the disease. USDA has developed and implemented specific preventive measures at ports of entry to ensure that international cargo, animals, passengers, and mail do not bring the disease into the United States. In the event of an FMD outbreak, the United States will face several challenges in mounting an effective and quick response, although USDA and many states have developed and tested emergency animal disease response plans.