Activity 8.1.3 – I’m in Charge Here!

 

Purpose

Governmental regulatory agencies exist to protect public safety. Regulatory agencies establish policies to prevent and limit the spread of potentially harmful diseases and products. In the case of a disease outbreak, they work to control the spread, recall products, and eliminate the threat.

 

There is often overlap among regulatory agencies concerning who should be in charge. Diseases, epidemics, and outbreaks are caused, treated, and prevented by many agencies, all of which seek credit for their accomplishments. The difficulty often lies in determining which agency should lead the process.

 

Equipment

Per team of three students: ·        Computer with Internet access

Per student: ·        Pencil ·        Agriscience Notebook

 

Procedure

Your teacher will assign you to a team of three students. Your team will represent one of the following regulatory agencies that are concerned with handling a Foot-and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak in a new state.

 

APHIS	FDA
CPSC	FSIS
CDC	OSHA
EPA	USDA

 

Part One – Understanding the Agency

Research your agency. Answer the following questions about the agency.

 

1.      What do the initials of your agency stand for?

2.      What is the main function or purpose of your agency?

3.      What does it regulate?

4.      How does the agency relate to animal production?

 

Part Two – Identifying the Problem

Read Activity 8.1.3 Case Study and create a list of questions about events of the outbreak. You should be looking for ties to your agency and how you and your agency may be in charge of eliminating the risk from the FMD outbreak to other areas of agriculture.

 

Part Three – Defending your Organization

Develop an argument as to why your organization should be in charge of the situation over the others. Include answers to the following questions in your presentation, but do not limit your team’s argument to these questions.

 

1.      How might a FMD disease outbreak impact your agency?

2.      What policies or procedures does your agency have in place to handle the outbreak?

3.      What activities of the new state most concern your agency?

You and your team will have three minutes to present your case to the class. You will educate the class about your agency and present your argument for establishing control of the situation. See Activity 8.1.3 I’m in Charge Here Presentation Rubric for assessment details.

 

Conclusion

1.      What other approaches to resolving the FMD outbreak could have been used by government agencies?

 

 

 

 

 

2.      How do livestock producers and consumers benefit from government regulatory agencies?

 

Activity 8.1.3 – Case Study

 

A new state has been admitted to the United States. Agriculture is the main industry in the new state and it is a major producer of beef and pork. Prior to admission, this state was unregulated and United States officials are leery of some of the state’s prior practices and protocols.

 

Just two weeks into statehood, it is discovered that Foot-and-Mouth Disease has been running rampant across the state. By this time, animals have been shipped across newly deregulated state lines, livestock harvested and processed, and thousands of visitors have traipsed across the verdant state. Regulatory organizations are in an uproar and livestock producers across the country are concerned about their animals.

 

In a poorly devised, but effective effort, the President of the United States promises to double the budget for the next ten years of the regulatory organization that resolves and handles this issue the most quickly and efficiently. This would finally allow the organization to be fully staffed, research and development could progress and, as a result, the organization would be world-renowned.

 

Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) is a highly contagious viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals. It can be spread by humans, birds, and other animals that are not affected by the disease. The disease is identified by a high fever, blisters in the mouth, and sores on the feet and legs. FMD is not typically fatal, but recovery is a very slow process and the disease is so contagious that destruction of infected animals is used to prevent the spread of the disease.

 

Activities of the new state:

·        Mass slaughtering of infected animals just before final inspections for statehood.

·        Farm workers have been working double shifts to keep infected animals out of the public eye, sending them to slaughter and burying those too sick to transport in deep hastily dug pits.

·        Meat and by-products were salvaged from carcasses prior to disposal.

·        Three cattle auctions sent exposed steers to Midwestern states.

·        Insulin from cattle and pigs was shipped to a major pharmaceutical company.

·        Three shipments of pork were made to the Northeastern states.

·        Four truckloads of assorted pigskin products ranging from gloves to chew toys for dogs were shipped to the distribution center of a national retailer.

·        Twelve tons of meat and bone meal were sent to an organic fertilizer company on the West Coast.

·        Over 8,000 visitors representing all 50 states have visited farms and toured the surrounding areas.