Texas Commissioner Sid Miller and the Texas Department of Agriculture has issued a warning of the fungus labeled a "potential agroterrorism weapon” by the Trump administration smuggled into the U.S. by Chinese nationals.
"Fusarium graminearum, commonly referred to as head blight or scab, produces mycotoxins such as deoxynivalenol (DON), also known as vomitoxin. This poses several health risks to humans and can lead to economic losses for livestock producers. Grains contaminated and transferred to humans may cause nausea, vomiting, and immune system issues. For Texas consumers, this represents a serious threat to our personal health, food supply, and security," the Texas agriculture commissioner said.
University of Michigan researcher Yunqing Jian and her boyfriend, Zunyong Liu, were charged two weeks ago with trying to smuggle strains of fusarium graminearum into the U.S.
Jian worked at the University of Michigan and Liu works at a Chinese university.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.