Janklow: Use martial law to save livestock

By KEVIN WOSTER

Argus Leader

published: 5/18/01

Freedom-loving South Dakotans should be prepared to live with quarantines, a ban on travel and even martial law if foot-and-mouth disease comes to the state, Gov. Bill Janklow said Thursday in Sioux Falls.

Janklow told more than 600 people at his conference on animal diseases that such extreme and unpleasant actions would be shocking in a state and nation where people value freedom. But they might be needed temporarily to protect the livestock industry from being devastated by the contagious disease.

"This would be the equivalent of biological warfare, and we would have to treat it like we were at war from day one," Janklow said while outlining his foot-and-mouth contingency plan. "If we're going to go to war, everybody's got to be in it."

Janklow organized and moderated a panel of animal-disease experts to discuss foot-and-mouth disease, mad cow disease and chronic wasting disease. He and state health officials think foot-and-mouth is the greatest disease threat to the state.

Dr. Alfonso Torres, deputy administrator for veterinary services of the federal Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, praised Janklow for being the first governor to call such a conference.

"We have one of the healthiest, most productive livestock industries in the world. We want to keep it that way," Torres said.

Janklow presented battle plans should the disease be confirmed in North America or in or near South Dakota.

It ranged from activating the South Dakota National Guard and a variety of law enforcement agencies to a freeze on livestock from other states, the closure of auction barns and temporary bans on movement by people and livestock.

Farms could be quarantined and martial law declared, giving the military jurisdiction over affected areas.

Janklow said he hopes that won't be necessary, but that the state must be prepared just in case.

Janklow also recommended that South Dakotans not travel to countries with affected livestock until further notice.

During the past 18 months, it has been confirmed in 34 countries. The latest outbreaks were in Great Britain, Northern Ireland, Argentina and France. North America is believed to be free of the disease.

The last major outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the United States was in the 1920s. But it is common in many parts of the world. Its well-publicized impact in the United Kingdom has been devastating to the livestock industry, tourism and the overall economy.

The foot-and-mouth virus is in the same family as the common cold, and even more difficult to handle. It is easily killed by heat and disinfectant, but mutates constantly to make vaccines largely ineffective.

The virus can be exhaled by the trillions by infected animals. In humid conditions, it can be carried in the air for more than 60 miles.

People aren't infected but can carry the active virus on their clothing, shoes, food or in their respiratory system, spreading it to susceptible animals.

It only affects animals with split hooves, including cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, elk and deer.

Although the disease usually isn't fatal, it gives the infected livestock sores on the mouth, nose and feet. That hurts production of meat and milk and, even worse, destroys consumer confidence in the products, Janklow said.

Torres said more diseases and different strains of the same disease are creating challenges for disease-control specialists. And the development of large farms with thousands of animals with similar genetics makes them more susceptible to disease.

"We are losing the innate resistance we have in animals against these diseases," Torres said.

It's important that other states take South Dakota's lead and develop their own response plans, he said. Agriculture officials from surrounding states also attended the conference.

Experts also discussed other livestock diseases, including bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), more commonly called mad cow disease. The disease is best known for it damage to the cattle industry in Great Britain.

It isn't as contagious as foot-and-mouth disease, but because it has been connected to a variation of a fatal brain disorder -- Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease -- that has infected about 90 people in the United Kingdom, it evokes strong emotion and fear in the public.

Government protection include the prohibition of the imports of live cattle and other ruminants, as well as related products, from countries that have had the disease. It is believed to have spread among cattle that were given feed that included meat and bone meal made from infected animals.

That practice is now banned.

Dr. Elizabeth Williams, a diagnostic pathologist and professor of veterinary science at the University of Wyoming, spoke on chronic wasting disease. The disease is in the same family as mad-cow disease, but it affects deer and elk and hasn't been known to cross over to infect humans.

South Dakota animal health officials confirmed it in captive elk herds in 1997. Through quarantines, tighter regulations and the killing of infected herds, the problem has been eliminated.

"You should feel proud, because South Dakota has been a leader in developing chronic wasting programs," Williams said.

-- William in Wi (gnarledmaw@lycos.com), May 18, 2001

Answers

It amazes me that people think the government is really interested in their well being. Remember...we are human resources, and the IRS calls us customers now.

I'm with you, Laura. I don't want the local folks to really know what I am raising and I won't take a license for organic produce from these people either. Permission to feed myself and others???? Doesn't that seem nuts?

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@yahoo.com), May 19, 2001.

It seemed to me the biggest devastation to farmers has been government agents showing up and slaughtering and burning their herds, not the minor virus that their animals may or may not have.

Years ago, my intuition, (maybe God?) told me not to be telling government agencies what I am raising on my property. A certificate to grow organic produce? I don't think so! Call the County Ag Extension about livestock health? Not on yor life! I don't think I am very comfortable with my kids showing horses in 4-H either.

Yeah, I see the overall big picture of big government/big business killing off the small independent farmers so they may have ultimate power and control over us.

-- Laura (LadybugWrangler@hotmail.com), May 18, 2001.

"Yeah, I see the overall big picture of big government/big business killing off the small independent farmers so they may have ultimate power and control over us."

Its interesting that you bring this up...from memory here...

Do you remember the E Coli outbreaks (especially on the west coast) recently? Get this...
The E Coli was linked back to the packing facilities involved.
The particular strain of E Coli was not a "wild" one but one that was developed in a DOD linked lab.
The various packers (especially beef) were in trouble due to suits.
Tyson chicken appeared to save the day in each case and started buying up these companies.
The Tysons are known to be huge donors to the Clintons.(Allowing one of them to be pardoned.)
Now who would have access to this particular strain of bacteria and want to see Tyson expand? Hmmm, thats a tought one...Heres another odd coinkadink..

For years the Chinese have been trying to figure out how to get rid of all the little chicken flocks that various farmers had.
Recently there was supposedly an outbreak of some kind of flu that the chickens were catching that would kill all the chickens as it spread.
The government ordered all chickens to be turned in to be destroyed as they might be carrying the disease.
Literally millions of chickens were killed and burned to "get rid of the disease" which also had the effect of closing down the black market on chicken (I know it seems silly but socialists cant allow anything unregulated and remember this is a poor country.)
This left a vaccuum in chicken supply since none of the little guys were producing any more.
Tyson appeared to set up chicken contracts with the government.

I dont think youre theory is very far out there...

-- William in Wi (gnarledmaw@lycos.com), May 18, 2001.

Laura -

I agree with you and Doreen (and EVERYBODY ElSE) on this. There are so many programs designed to eliminate the locals. For instance, a new scholarship program here in ID... They will pay full tuition to farmers and their children who are either out, or getting out of farming. But, you have to go into a NON-agricultural program (they won't help a bit if you want to shift gears to try keeping your farm), and they 'prefer' the children enter the program BEFORE they are forced to leave the farm... But, they don't want to discourage farming.

I looked into 4H, too... I was gonna try being the 'good-guy'... NO!!! By the time they get through with you, you are nothing but an extension robot!! You have so many regulations, required trainings, meetings, etc... They are not interested at ALL in whether or not you can grow a garden, raise a steer, rabbit, whatever. All they want is for you to do THEIR things, by THEIR rules, to THEIR satisfaction. (Gave up on GS, etc a LONG time ago!)

Its gonna get rough in this country - and its not going to take very long. Folks in the cities are all overjoyed because the 'market' is up... they aren't seeing anything else....

-- Sue Diederich (willow666@rocketmail.com), May 19, 2001.