2 Cow Dung Cakes Discovered By Dulles Airport Customs Officials

DULLES, VA — Two cow dung cakes, which could carry disease, were recently found in unclaimed baggage by agriculture specialists from U.S. Customs and Border Protection at Washington Dulles International Airport, according to a release.

The cakes were discovered in a suitcase that had been left behind by passengers arriving from an Air India fight in April. The passengers had already cleared CBP's inspection station when the cakes were discovered.

In other parts of the world, cow dung is considered a vital fuel source for energy and cooking. However, cow dung from India is prohibited from coming into the U.S. because it is a potential vector for foot-and-mouth disease.

Foot-and-mouth disease is an international concern, because it spreads quickly and can cause significant losses to livestock populations, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“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,” said Keith Fleming, acting director of Field Operations for CBP’s Baltimore Field Office. “CBP’s agriculture specialists are our nation’s front-line protectors of vital agricultural and natural resources that help keep our nation’s economy strong and robust.”

Officials destroyed the two dung cakes.

CBP officials at Dulles Airport recently confiscated 100 prohibited porcupine quills, which have the potential to spread the monkeypox virus. The quills were handed over to the Centers for Disease Control and Protection.