Border inspections guarantee no risk of foreign disease introduction via smuggling.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Not guaranteed
• D. Depends on detection rate

Answer: (B)

Border inspections reduce the chance of introducing foreign animal diseases, but they cannot eliminate risk entirely. Some individuals or goods can carry infection during the incubation period or be asymptomatic yet infectious, so they may pass screening undetected. Inspections can only sample a small fraction of the enormous volume of travelers and shipments, and diagnostic tests have imperfect sensitivity. Hidden methods of smuggling, contaminated belongings, and environmental vectors also bypass straightforward screening. Because there’s always some residual risk despite thorough checks, the claim that inspections guarantee no risk is not accurate.