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future infectious diseases



Forwarded the original post to a friend from whom
I received the following comment:

snip
====

"
It's already happening in the food chain.  In the recent past, the
Cyclospora outbreak last year from Guatemalan raspberries.  (Good thing
the darned things are so expensive or there would have been a lot more
sick people.)  And the Hepatitis B this year from Mexican strawberries.

Further back, just after Nafta was approved, it was found that a large
percentage of feeder cattle imported from Mexico had TB.  

On an anti-Nafta radio program several months ago, I heard that less
than 5% of the produce coming across the border from Mexico is tested. 
Of that 5%, 40% is contaminated or rotten.  On the program, they also
discussed the fact that because Mexico is "undeveloped", they have a
longer time to discontinue the use of pesticides and herbicides that
have been banned from use in this country for years.  There was question
as to whether the testing done on the 5% of the produce included testing
for those pesticides/herbicides since our (U.S.) disallowing the import
of produce contaminated by the banned substances would probably be
determined as a (good grief!) "trade barrier".  

The whole picture is worse than frightening.

Sign me a "protectionist"!
"

name witheld.

George


George Vanderwoude
Hazy Dawn Farm
Lisle, NY 13797

e-mail: gvdw@ix.netcom.com

Our Web site:  http://people.delphi.com/gvdw