Everything just fine: Mad Cow cases (BSE) are resembling average Americans more and more every day
Agencies
04/25/2012
The United States Department of Agriculture confirmed Tuesday that it found a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a dairy cow from central California.
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| BSE happens when they feed cow/sheep offal to cows |
The infected cow was found as part of a "targeted surveillance system," says John Clifford, the USDA's chief veterinary officer. This is the nation's fourth confirmed case of the ailment commonly known as mad cow disease, which can be fatal to humans who eat parts of the animal infected.
"The animal was never presented for slaughter for human consumption, so it at no time presented a risk to the food supply or human health. Additionally, milk does not transmit BSE," Clifford said. The cow was found at a "rendering plant," which takes sickly or discarded animal meat and recycles it into inedible products.
The animal tested positive for atypical BSE, a very rare form of the disease not generally associated with an animal consuming infected feed.
The USDA in collaborating with international animal labs and U.S. public health officials to determine the origins of the case.
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| BSE sore subject with cows and for good reason - no interview for this editor |
It does not expect the finding to affect U.S. trade in beef.
Earlier rumors sent live cattle futures plummeting on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange as the result of a mass sell-off, reported Reuters.
Worldwide cases of BSE peaked in 1992 with 37,311 confirmed cases. In 2011, there were 29 cases. This is attributable primarily to the use of feed bans, according to the USDA.
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Wednesday, April 25, 2012
