Mad Cow Disease now in the U.S.

[Nick]

Good editorial from the NYT -

Modern meatpacking plants are enormous automated factories, as void of humans as possible. The machinery, like the now- notorious automated meat-recovery system, is very expensive. Profitability requires an uninterrupted flow of carcasses. To packers, that means that they, rather than independent farmers, should own the cattle, hogs and poultry moving through the line. The federal government agrees. Every effort to outlaw packers' ownership of livestock has failed.

The result is a system in which the average drives out the excellent, and the international drives out the local.....

Click here.

[ExtraMSG]

But I also think we need to know more about vCJD. We have a lot of people diagnosed with Alzheimer's now, and their are scientists out there who say we'll never know how many really have vCJD.

My understanding of the symptoms is that the two diseases are different enough not to be confused by a doctor.

For this and other reasons, I think that some precautions are warranted and that there is a happy medium between saying there is no problem at all and overreacting.

I agree. How this is done and what the line is for overreacting, though, we may disagree on.

[jeff29992001]

"In 1990, when the federal government designed a surveillance system to detect mad cow disease, scientists said the tests would find one case of the disease if there were 45 infected cattle in the country.

...

Determining the exact number of infected animals will be difficult, perhaps impossible. Unlike countries that test all slaughtered animals, the United States tests a tiny fraction of the 45 million animals thought to be at risk -- 20,526 tests were conducted last year -- leaving experts with more questions than answers.

...

Epidemiologists and statisticians say the infected Holstein raises a flag that could indicate there are two, 10 or even 90 infected animals in the United States. "

Assessing Risks of Mad Cow

summarizing--

the current bse test used by the USDA, more accurately, a "survey" (last year 20,526 cattle tested out of 35 million slaughtered) assumes the following risks: if there are 45 infected cows, then the test will detect at least 1 of them.

so the question is whether there are 45 infected cows out there, or are there more or less.

complicating the matter is the test is administered only on downer cattle, completely missing cows that appear normal. so those 45 infected cattle could be one of those "healthy" looking (but possibly infected, and in the early stages of bse) cows being slaughtered.

there are too many questions and holes in the system to give any concrete answers.

I hope this answers a few questions among the non-scientifically/non mathematically inclined...

[Mottmott]

I just read this article on BSE/MCD. Perhaps those of you with more science behind you could comment. It is not reassuring.

http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=17513

[Katherine]

I just read this article on BSE/MCD.  Perhaps those of you with more science behind you could comment. It is not reassuring.

http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=17513

Wow

[jeff29992001]

hmm, the suggestion of a link between CJD and Alzheimer's is interesting, I'd like to read more into it to be certain of anything...

as for the cross-contamination of pig-chicken-cattle neuro tissue, that should've been obvious to ppl. but i'd like to see some more studies done to be certain of anything...

[ExtraMSG]

Would it mean I could drink canned pop again if I cut out hamburger?

btw, here are some other links:

http://www.hcra.harvard.edu/foodresearch.html#spongiform

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,107632,00.html

[Katherine]

But I also think we need to know more about vCJD. We have a lot of people diagnosed with Alzheimer's now, and there are scientists out there who say we'll never know how many really have vCJD.

My understanding of the symptoms is that the two diseases are different enough not to be confused by a doctor.

A couple of years back, I read on the BBC that it's possible that the reason that vCJD is only found in younger people is that its symptoms mimic those of a variety of other degenerative neurological diseases, which we expect to see in elderly people. They thought that if proper screening procedures were in place, the number of victims found would have been much higher, by a factor of two or three.

[alacarte]

The following is excerpted from financial newsweekly Barron's. The site requires a password, sorry.

ANYONE SEEKING A SENSIBLE APPROACH to avoiding "mad cow" disease perhaps should study first how the cattle are slaughtered. Haven't got the time? Then you might want to consider eating kosher.

That's the conclusion of the preeminent kosher-certification agency, the Orthodox Union -- at least until some added protections from the Agriculture Department take effect. The Jewish agency recently asserted that the likelihood "is much less" that kosher meat will be tainted with mad-cow disease, and that no kosher cattle has ever been infected. Why? Because kosher laws prohibit the use of "downed," or sick cows, as well as stunning or shocking animals to kill them.

.....Once the new USDA rules are implemented, the risk to ordinary cattle should be about equal to kosher ones, says New York-based Rabbi Menachem Genack, rabbinic administrator of the Orthodox Union's kosher division. Still, "it may be that kosher animals are by definition somewhat healthier," because in addition to strictly supervised slaughter, they undergo rigorous health inspections, the rabbi says. With concerns over enforcement of USDA bans, that's no small thing.

[jeff29992001]

"it may be that kosher animals are by definition somewhat healthier," because in addition to strictly supervised slaughter, they undergo rigorous health inspections, the rabbi says.

like what kinda rigorous health inspections? does it include post-mortem inspection of neuro tissue for BSE (20526 cattle tested out of 35 million slaughtered last year)?

if not, then the BSE risk in kosher slaughtered beef is the same as regular beef---healthy looking cattle can still harbor abnormal prions/incubate BSE, and pass through the slaughterhouse without anyone suspecting a thing.

Edited January 13, 2004 by jeff29992001 (log)

[ExtraMSG]

A couple interesting sound clips from NPR on Mad Cow today:

http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=1596785

Last month's discovery of mad cow disease in Washington state touched off a crisis for U.S. beef producers. With billions of dollars at stake, cattle ranchers and meatpackers united to convince consumers of the safety of U.S. beef. Strong sales figures suggest their efforts have been successful. NPR's Elaine Korry reports.

http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=1597543

NPR's Jeff Brady attends the National Western Stock Show in Denver to hear what those in the beef industry are saying about mad cow disease. They report that in addition to containing the disease, they are concerned about public perception of the safety of beef.

[Mottmott]

Here's more (frightening) news about testing procedures or, rather, lack of testing procedures:

http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20040114-041124-1470r

[QuinaQuen]

What is reassuring is how quickly, decisively and transparently this was handled. After the recent Canadian experience, there was no doubt that announcing the discovery of a single case of mad cow was going to have serious and expensive consequences, but no one delayed or equivocated.

Gawrsh, that's a lot o' big words. But your ironic tone is well taken. To say that corporate megafarms are skirting USDA regulations is so obvious that you might as well assert that there are hookers in Vegas. If you want to turn this forum into a lambasting of Howdy Doody and the megacorps who have their hands up his culo to make him talk, I'll glady add some flapdoodle.

[ExtraMSG]

I'm actually starting to see why the industry has been so worried about oversight. Every time they find a cow that shared the same pasture with the infected cow they decide to kill off the herd that currently shares the pasture with this cow.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/7729988.htm

By virtue of six degrees of separation, how long until every damned cow is killed?

[Nick]

I was over at Fulton and Janey's slaughterhouse/meat shop yesterday to get some stuff - pork sausage, ground lamb, 2# porterhouse, and since the boneless chuck roast in the case looked so good I bought the whole thing - 9#. All for 40 bucks.

Anyhow, David said they'd been getting lots of calls about mad cow. Usually along the lines of, "do you have mad cow disease over there?" David - "No ma'am, we only slaughter happy cows."

[Kenk]

Mad cow dangers may be understated

This article brings forth why we all should be concerned.

Edited January 21, 2004 by Kenk (log)

[ScoopKW]

So I put on my robe and my wizard hat, wave a wand and incant, "Zombie thread, arise!"

First infected cow found in California.

http://www.mercurynews.com/health/ci_20469701/mad-cow-disease-found-central-california-dairy-cow?source=most_emailed

Edited April 25, 2012 by ScoopKW (log)

[ScoopKW]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/mad-cow-case-raises-the-issue-of-tracking-livestock/2012/04/25/gIQAjqvshT_story.html

Here's the Washington Post's editorial about the case in California....