NCI Communications was awarded a contract to produce a case study on H5N1 Avian influenza and the possibility of the virus igniting a global pandemic. The film will open the third annual International Symposium on Agroterrorism (ISA) hosted by The Heart of America Joint Terrorism Task Force (HOA-JTTF) and the Kansas City Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation April 22-24, 2008 in Kansas City, Missouri.

The ISA draws attendees representing government and law enforcement agencies at the federal, state, and local levels, academia, the scientific community, private industry, and the health, medical, and veterinary professions.  The mission of the ISA is to protect the food supply worldwide while illustrating the importance of a coordinated international effort. 

The film provides background on pandemic flu, the rise of the H5N1 virus and what governments and world bodies have done in response.  The film presents a realistic picture of the threat and steps the global community must take to address the problem.  Additionally, the film highlights the need for coordination between the agriculture and public health communities, and between nations of the world. 

ISA organizers commissioned the film to set the tone for the conference by presenting a case study of a realistic global public health threat that vividly illustrates the need for international coordination on health and food safety issues.

Attendees are expected from more than 25 different nations.