Animal Agrocrime: An Overlooked Biological Threat.

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic, suspected to have originated from spillover events, has significantly increased the visibility of biological threats, whether their origins are natural, accidental, or deliberate. The pandemic has also revealed vulnerabilities and gaps in emergency preparedness planning that were exploited by criminals during the crisis. However, how different would the pandemic have looked if it had been deliberately caused? In April 2020, the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned that ‘‘the weaknesses and lack of preparedness exposed by this pandemic provide a window onto how a bioterrorist attack might unfold.’’ Imagine the chaos that would have unfolded—how would we have recognized the signs of a deliberate biological event affecting animals and humans, and how would we have taken a One Health approach to such an event? The COVID-19 pandemic response was led by the public health community, but we also saw strong contributions from veterinary and law enforcement professionals. Veterinary professionals contributed to public health epidemiological investigations, laboratory testing of human specimens for the virus, and experimental infection of animals to further scientific evidence surrounding the virus, while simultaneously trying to maintain their critical functions in safeguarding animal health, welfare, and veterinary public health. Law enforcement officials also played an important role in the pandemic by supporting efforts to control the disease and handle criminals who took advantage of the situation, for example, through fraudulent activity, cyberattacks, and counterfeit medical supplies and medicine. In many countries, law enforcement officials took on new or unfamiliar duties that exposed them to infected people, often with minimal guidance and preparedness. Public health, law enforcement, and veterinary professionals faced significant pressures during this natural disease outbreak. However, what would the expectations have been if they were asked to respond to a deliberate biological event targeting governments and the public through livestock? Crime and terrorism surrounding animal health are often overlooked threats but can have substantial impacts on animal health and welfare, public health, food security, food authenticity, and even national security. Animal diseases can affect the animal and animal product trade, and