Idaho probes sudden deaths from rare brain disease

Reuters ^ | 8/15/2005 | Reuters Staff

[Pro-Bush]

I am still eating my steak medium rare!!

[thegreatbeast]

Curious indeed. Please let us know how this story develops if you can. Thanks.

[drlevy88]

MOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaabwwwwwaahhahahhahahahaaaaaa!

[California Patriot]

Seems to be rampant in the Democratic party. Look at Dr. Dean, for instance.

[garandgal]

Just FYI, some of the infected meat from the first "mad cow" went to Idaho.

They didn't get it all with the recall.

[tortoise]

The scientific reality is complicated.

First, many cases of prion disease in humans are likely spontaneous generation i.e. not acquired.

Second, there are prion-based biochemistries in the brain that serve some critical function but which are poorly understood.

Third, a significant fraction of humans have some immunity to prion diseases of the type that is found in beef.

All of which makes it a very complicated and nasty type of disease with little hope of a solution.

[FOG724]

I am still eating my steak medium rare!!

I like mine to stand up and Moo at me.

[DB]

As far as mad cow goes, I don't think it matters if you cook your meat until it's crunchy.

It is still there and just as deadly if it is infected.

[chuckles]

What about irradiation? Does that kill the stuff? I was against irradiation at first, but I'm starting to come around. My daughter has Crohn's and they think now it might come from infected milk. Pasteurization doesn't kill it.(paratuberculosis)

[Smokin' Joe]

Did all 5 have a medical procedure done by the same doctor using the same surgical instruments?

A gynecologist, for example?

The prions cannot be destroyed by autoclaving, and can be passed on to the next patient.

[DB]

I don't think so.

It isn't alive. It isn't a bacteria or virus.

[kenth]

It's an abnormal protein, not a living organism that can be killed. It causes a cascade of abnormal proteins to form from normal tissue.

[Pro-Bush]

Just FYI, some of the infected meat from the first "mad cow" went to Idaho.

Thanks for the info. Wasn't it from Canada?

[Pro-Bush]

...And the incubation period is?

[Old Seadog]

I still can't figure out what they're so damn mad about.

[Pro-Bush]

Did all 5 have a medical procedure done by the same doctor using the same surgical instruments? A gynecologist, for example?

Well, I hope the medical facility sterilizes their utensils, and don't double-dip!

[Smokin' Joe]

Standard sterilization will not deatroy prions.

You cannot cook them out of beef and have anything left but charcoal.

IIRC, there was a case in Denver where CJT was passed on to subsequent patients using surgical instruments (endoscopy).

[Pro-Bush]

Cool, I don't like my beef well-done! What is CJT? - I know about CJD

[Jedidah]

Yes, they did get it all. I have a close relative who was very involved in the isolation and destruction of that cow (as well as other animal tissue that might have come in contact with it). The material from that cow never entered either human or animal food.