US Customs warns fliers against carrying cow dung in luggage after finding two cakes
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According to the USCBP, the dung cakes were destroyed by its agriculture specialists
The United States Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) agency on Monday made an unexpected announcement against carrying cow dung in luggage. “That is not a typo,” the CBP wrote in a release on Monday.
The agency warned against the health risks posed by carrying cow dung in luggage. Last month, USCBP agents discovered two cow dung blocks left behind on an Air India flight, SlashGear reported. The cow dung laden luggage was found at the Washington Dulles International Airport.
According to the USCBP, the dung cakes were destroyed by its agriculture specialists. Cow dung is one of the items prohibited from being transported to US from India.
US officials warned how cow dung poses a serious threat of transmitting “Foot and Mouth Disease” (FMD). FMD is prevalent across the world and spreads rapidly through livestock. Officials believe this could reintroduce FMD to the United States, which has remained free of the disease since 1929.
“Foot and Mouth Disease is one of the animal diseases that livestock owners dread most, has grave economic consequences, and it is a critical threat focus of Customs and Border Protection’s agriculture protection mission,” Keith Fleming, Acting Director of Field Operations for CBP’s Baltimore Field Office said in a news release issued on Monday.
Officials warn that in case the disease is reintroduced by error, it could wreak havoc on the international livestock. In case even a single case of FMD is reported, international livestock trade could be suspended, officials fear.
It is used as a cooking source in many parts of the world. In rural areas, it is used as fuel after being dried. In addition, it also serves as a cheap and effective fertiliser.
