Posted on 01/11/2005 3:06:17 PM PST by youngtory
USDA to investigate after third mad cow found CTV.ca News Staff
News of a third mad cow case in Canada has prompted the United States to send a team here to evaluate whether the border should be re-opened to live Canadian cattle in March.
"As always, protection of public and animal health is our top priority,'' Ron DeHaven, administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, told The Canadian Press.
The investigation will be used to decide the appropriate next steps, he said.
DeHaven noted this latest case occurred in a cow born shortly after the implementation of a feed ban in 1997.
"... To determine if there are any potential links among the positive animals, we will expedite sending a technical team to Canada to evaluate the circumstances surrounding these recent finds," he said.
Minister's news conference
Earlier in the day, federal Agriculture Minister Andy Mitchell briefed journalists on the latest discovery.
"You are now aware that a third case has been confirmed today through our surveillance system," he said in Ottawa.
Mitchell called the discovery "not unexpected." Though this is the second case found in 10 days, it's not related to the case confirmed earlier this month.
He confirmed the cow was born after the feed ban.
"Preliminary data indicates the source of the infection was contaminated feed made prior to the feed ban," Mitchell explained.
Although the feed rules -- which eliminated cattle remains believed to carry a high risk of BSE-transmission from the nutrient mix -- predated the birth of the infected cow, Canadian Food Inspection Agency veterinarian Dr. Brian Evans said it's no cause for panic.
"Finding an animal of this age is entirely consistent with the types of cases we expected to find in North America through our targeted-surveillance program," Evans told reporters.
The cow's farm of origin has also been identified, and no part of the infected animal made its way into the human or animal food supply, he added.
It is believed that humans can contract the fatal variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease from eating BSE-contaminated meat.
The trade ban
When a single Alberta cow was diagnosed with the incurable illness in May, 2003, the news prompted a swift reaction from some of Canada's biggest trading partners. The ensuing trade bans, especially with the United States, have since cost the Canadian industry an estimated $5 billion.
But, less than two weeks ago, the industry was given new hope with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's announcement that it would reopen the American border to live, young Canadian cattle in early March.
The timing proved unfortunate, however, as it coincided with the confirmation of a second BSE-infected dairy cow in Alberta.
That case, Canadian Food Inspection Agency officials said, meant at least nine related cows would be tested for the disease.
Although the U.S. regulator said it would go ahead with plans to restart trade anyway, the discovery has stirred nervous rumblings south of the border.
On Monday, a U.S. cattle group R-Calf United Stockgrowers filed a federal lawsuit demanding the USDA reconsider its decision.
Allowing Canadian beef products, they argue, would not only pose a risk for consumers, but also send cattle prices into a sharp decline.
There has been one confirmed case of BSE in the U.S., but it was traced to a Canadian-born dairy cow.
The two other cases of BSE in Canada occurred in cattle born before feed rules were revamped to prevent the spread of the disease in 1997.
Despite the persistent Canadian connection, Mitchell told reporters Tuesday he still expects the U.S. border to open as planned in March.
"From our perspective we believe that it should," Mitchell said, expressing confidence in "science-based" decisions. But he also conceded that American officials will respond after they've had time to reflect on this latest information.
As a signal of Ottawa's commitment to the issue in the meantime, the Agriculture Minister said he has ordered six measures that include determining exactly how the cow was infected and assuring international trade partners that Canadian beef is safe.
International experts will also be invited, Mitchell said, to conduct a comprehensive audit of Canada's animal feed system before the border is due to be reopened in March.
Under World Health Organization guidelines, so-called minimal risk countries such as Canada can retain that status even with as many as 11 reported cases in a 12-month period.
With files from CTV News and The Canadian Press
It was never a good idea to grind up animals and feed them to cattle. People who do things like that need to be exposed, imo.
Probably just a false positive and not even Mad Cow. The cow from Canada should be sent to the US to be tested in Ames, Iowa. I bet it would test negative.
Sadly, that isn't the case. The initial tests were repeated and verified as BSE. The main question I believe, will be to try to determine whether or not the feed in question was contaminated before or after the feed ban was put in place.
Canada has developed an extensive individual animal ID database over the last 4 years. But animals older than that, as this cow is, wouldn't be in the database.
Please see my post #9 to see why you wouldn't get the reassurance that you seek.
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