Synopsis "Combating Biological Terrorism From Imported Food"
There is a threat that a terrorist or terrorist organization will use access to the US food supply to kill or sicken Americans by contaminating imported food products from Mexico. The food that Americans eat is coming more and more often from foreign countries such as Mexico. Foodborne diseases infect nearly fifty million people in the US each year, resulting in over three thousand deaths. There are many terrorist organizations that would like to deliberately contaminate American food. Drug cartels and terrorist organizations currently operate in Mexico, one of the leading food importers into the US. The purpose of this research was to determine what actions should be taken in response to the threat of biological terrorism through deliberately-contaminated food supplied from Mexico. While Americans enjoy the safest and most abundant food supply in the world, this thesis made several recommendations. First, laboratories and public health officers should continue to increase their ability to detect and identify foodborne outbreaks. Second, consumers who become sickened by foodborne pathogens should report their sickness to either the local hospital or to the local health department even if they choose to treat the sickness at home. Third, the US should increase the production of food that Americans eat with the goal of producing a self sufficient food supply. Fourth, consumers should be better informed on food safety issues to minimize the effects of bioterrorism.This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
