Is the US prepared for Agroterrorism?

Report warns U.S. unprepared for agroterrorism, disease

An annual report by non-profit Trust for America’s Health warns the United States is ill-prepared for attacks of agroterrorism or foodborne, animal-borne or water-borne diseases.

Federal, state and local funding cuts for public health were sited as part of the vulnerability equation.

The report identified gaps in: the public health workforce, the ability of the healthcare system to stretch to accommodate a massive surge in patients, the ability to react quickly to a bioterrorism or disease outbreak, adequate surveillance to react quickly, the ability to work across communities and adequate vaccine and pharmaceutical research, development and manufacturing.

Key findings included:

..21 states were not able to rapidly identify disease-causing E.coli O157:H7 and submit the lab results in 90 percent of cases within four days during 2007-08.
..33 states and D.C. cut funding for public health from FY 2008-09 to FY 2009-10.
..Seven states can not currently share data electronically with health care providers.
..10 states do not have an electronic syndromic surveillance system that can report and exchange information.
..Six states reported that pre-identified staff were not able to acknowledge notification of emergency exercises or incidents within the target time of 60 minutes at least twice during 2007-08.
..Six states did not activate their emergency operations center a minimum of two times in 2007-08.
..Two states did not develop at least two After-Action Report/Improvement Plans (AAR/IPs) after exercises or real incidents in 2007-08.
..25 states do not mandate all licensed child care facilities have a multi-hazard written evacuation and relocation plan.
..Three states and D.C. report not having enough staffing capacity to work five, 12-hour days for six to eight weeks in response to an infectious disease outbreak, such as novel influenza A H1N1.
..One state decreased their Laboratory Response Network for Chemical Threats (LRN-C) chemical capability from Aug.10, 2009 to Aug. 9, 2010.

The report was supported by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Click on LINK below access full report:

http://healthyamericans.org/assets/files/TFAH2010ReadyorNot%20FINAL.pdf

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