FOREWORD
The whole focus on a bio-terror threat is missing the forest for the trees.
As long as our primary defense against food borne pathogens of all classes is cold storage,
vaccines are useless. Cold storage only delays the growth of pathogens, many of which are
psychrotropic - i.e..they live and thrive in cold.
There are many far more virulent bacteria and fungi than are mentioned in the attached article.
These are already through the system. More lethal ones can easily introduced into the food
supply before shipping.
They will then infect the transport refrigeration system. The reefer system has two way pathogen
transfer due to air leaks spreading the pathogen to the atmosphere and covering even shrink
wrapped plastic packaging inside. When placed in a cold storage warehouse, the food or
wrapping will infect that system and all subsequent food in the warehouse just as the container
refrigeration will be infecting all subsequent loads and mutating into new strains.
Given the amount of food and plants that are transported that have already been treated with
drugs, we have a thousands of primordial breeding grounds in each refrigeration unit for new
strains that will develop drug resistance.
The only large scale more fertile bioreactors we have is the sewage system into which drugs are
disposed wholesale and in feces and urine to a large scale breeder designed to promote
bacteria growth.
From the shipping containers, the pathogens will go through the entire food distribution chain
undetected..
Any cardboard box will absorb moisture and create an even greater area for breeding and
spreading pathogens even if shrink wrapped during shipment since the pathogen will transfer
from the wrap to the box when opened. If the bacteria or fungi used is slow acting, extremely
infectious and virulent, it will have infected the entire food system before it manifests as disease
in the general population.
There is no repeat no practical way to treat AC and refrigeration units. Ozone and UV will only
get 80% of the pathogens. Many of the more virulent strains such as certain fusariums are
totally resistant to ozone and more are cropping up every day.
.
Cold storage does not kill pathogens. It only delays their growth and creates a perfect
environment for growth and spread of certain pathogens when exposed.
This is already s happening through the system with less virulent pathogens.
Chance will likely provide the pathogen meeting the above definition long before a terrorist does.
There are solution that can be rapidly implemented but we as long as we focus on the virus
aspect and continue to look at the symptoms not the cause, we will get to meet this enemy.