After the First US Outbreak...
January 2, 2001Dear Secretary Veneman,
I would like to congratulate you on your appointment to the position of Agriculture Secretary.On January 18, 2001, the Associated Press published an article regarding your confirmation hearings. The following two paragraphs are excerpts from that article.
"My record speaks for itself. ... I will certainly continue that commitment to ensure the safest food supply we can possibly have in this country," she said.
Agriculture Secretary-designate Ann Veneman said at her Senate confirmation hearing Thursday that she supports the use of microbial standards, such as those the USDA proposed Friday, as long as they are based on sound scientific data.
These statements are encouraging and I am hoping to gain some clarity as to your exact position regarding these issues.
In April of 2000, APHIS officials announced the first official outbreak of RHD in the United States. Since that time, no additional steps have been taken to safeguard the Rabbit Industry, and others concerned with the welfare of Rabbits, from a repeated incident. In fact, during the global spread of RHD, the USDA has never taken any steps to protect the US from this disease caused by the planet's deadliest virus. To further compound the danger, the Australian government has chosen to deliberately spread this virus. This act has never been denounced by U.S. officials. We freely allow products from Australia and other nations to enter this country with no safeguards in place.
USDA scientist have participated in studies that show this is not the only danger presented by the Calicivirus family. Studies have shown that many species of livestock in this country are infected with various Caliciviruses at an endemic level. Much of this information was presented to and gathered by the USDA while you were with the agency during the George Bush Administration in the late '80's and early '90's. Due to the potential impact the presence of these viruses might have on our exportation of animal products, as well as your focus on exports, I would expect you to view this as an important issue.
As former Secretary Glickman, and other USDA officials, were made aware of, preliminary testing has shown that Caliciviruses, other than Norwalk like viruses, are having an effect on human health. Still no action has been taken by any federal agency to safeguard the public.
I would like to know what the agency will do, now that it is under your direction, to safeguard both human health and the livestock industry from this viral family.
Sincerely,
diane of The Sanctuary
The Response
--P. J. O'Rourke
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