Screened U.S. Animal Positive for Mad Cow

[Kadie]

Screened U.S. Animal Positive for Mad Cow

8 minutes ago
Fri, Jun 25, 2004

WASHINGTON - An animal in the United States tested positive in a preliminary screening test for mad cow disease, Agriculture Department officials said Friday.

John Clifford, deputy administrator of USDA veterinary services, said officials learned of the "inconclusive" test result at 5:30 p.m. Friday. The carcass is being sent to USDA National Veterinary Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, for additional tests. Results are expected in 4 to 7 days.

snip...
"The animal in question didn't enter the food chain," he said. "If positive, we'll provide additional information on the animal and origins."

more... http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040626/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/mad_cow_2

There isn't much more to this article, but they do say that the further tests could be negative.

[pinniped]

1. Well it's a good thing the animal didn't enter the food chain...

like the other cow "allegedly" from Canada from a few months ago.

Then there's that lady in FL who died of mad cow last week.

It's a good thing * and his gang are looking out for our best interests.

Meanwhile this low-profile story fell under the radar:

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/05/20/MNGTF6OMJD1.DTL

------U.S. quietly OKs imports of banned Canada beef

Washington Post

Washington -- The Agriculture Department allowed American meatpackers to resume imports of ground and other processed beef from Canada last September, just weeks after it publicly reaffirmed its ban on importing those products because mad cow disease had been found in Canadian cattle.

In the next six months, a total of 33 million pounds of Canadian processed beef flowed to American consumers under a series of undisclosed permits the USDA issued to the meatpackers, permits that remained in effect until a federal judge intervened in April.

The imports were allowed despite the August 2003 announcement by Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman that she was extending an earlier ban on many types of Canadian beef.

more:

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/05/20/MNGTF6OMJD1.DTL

[Hell Hath No Fury]

2. Considering just how how few cows ...

they are testing, you have to know there are positive cows in the food chain.

I'm so the only burgers I eat these days are made from soy. :scared:

[daleo]

3. Well this is interesting

First, it will be interesting to see whether the cow can be traced to Canada. If not, then should the ban on Canadian beef be lifted? After all, if the condition is on both sides of the border, then an imaginary line won't protect anyone. Finally, will this be the impetus necessary to begin a "test every animal" process, again on both sides of the border.

On edit - you have to like the Friday news dump. "Oh, by the way, before you go for the weekend, just one last thing..."

"officials learned of the "inconclusive" test result at 5:30 p.m. Friday."

[CHIMO]

4. BEHIND THE VEIL OF SCIENCE

The paper is an attempt to bring together the producers so that they can establish the rules for marketing their produce.
Sure that US producers are facing similar problems.

http://www.costercamp.org/

[pop goes the weasel]

5. I wish they'd let ranchers test all animals

There are ranches going belly-up around here, and I think it's in part because of the collapse of the export market which we won't get back until there is stremuous testing. And lest any vegetarians think it's a good thing for cattle ranches to go under, let me assure you, it isn't. The big fear is that chicken and pig houses will go up where cattle once ranged, and that the land being sold by independent cattlemen who like to keep the land wild enough for hunting will end up in the hands of multi-nationals who will destroy it.

[TrogL]

6. this means they have to open the border for Canadian beef

[NashVegas]

7. Deer?

I've seen reports of deer hunters getting Creutzfeldt-Jacobs.

[sybylla]

8. Yeah, but none of them have been confirmed

as the consequences of eating Deer suffering from Chronic Wasting Disease, the strain of "mad cow" that deer get. At least that's the government's story and they're sticking to it.

How could there not be diseased beef in our food supply. The symptoms don't appear for years and the average age of beef that we eat must be somewhere around 2 or 3 years old. There could be many infected animals in our cattle herds that we don't know about and don't test because they appear to be healthy when they are shipped off to the slaughter house at such a young age. The only true incubators where we can see the later stages of mad cow taking effect are dairy farms and stud farms where animals are regularly kept for 5 or more years. Of all the beef we consume, that is not a huge sample set.

[CHIMO]

9. Ground Beef

Or hamburger meat comes from cows older than three years and is a mess of all kinks of parts.

[Kali]

11. point of clarification

animals for food are younger, but the herds they come from are full of older animals and so far no signs of massive infections of those animals.

[catzies]

10. "An animal in the United States"

Could they be any more vague? :eyes:

[DBoon]

12. A large land dwelling mammal

has been spotted at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington DC.

Possible signs of "mad human" disease have been noted - vacant gaze, stumbling speaking, lack of empathy and moral sense...

[murielm99]

13. Thanky, DBoon!

That cracked me up.

:D

[puerco-bellies]

14. Damn it!!!

On the 14th of this month I rolled all my clients out of Feeder Cattle puts. There was a story about a downer cow in Texas that was not tested even though it is manditory. The local FDA official put a gag order on test results. I suspected madcow so I contacted all of my clients to go short FC's. Feeders since then climbed from 1.02 a pound to 1.11 today. I think I only have one hold out with a single position. If this cow is infected his positon which originally cost 3,200 and is today worth about $600 will probably sell for around $12,000 to $16,000. That is if I could not talk him into selling it. Damn, Damn, Damn!!!

[CHIMO]

15. U.S. Awaits Conclusive Mad Cow Results

The preliminary test results must be considered inconclusive while the more exact testing is under way, said Norman Schwartz, president of Bio-Rad Laboratories in Hercules, Calif., who said Bio-Rad's rapid test found the result that USDA announced Friday.
The screening effectively identifies tissue that could contain the BSE protein while not falsely identifying clean samples as contaminated, Schwartz said. The testing process is new, and errors might creep in if lab officials make mistakes, he said.
``It's just kind of our cautious nature to say we want to see the thing confirmed and make absolutely sure before we raise the red flag,'' Schwartz said.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4249153,00.html?=ticker

[ItsThePeopleStupid]

16. Bio-Rad uses an immunoassay type test

According to my Scientific American, the problem with this type of test is it can only detect high levels, although the company claims it has detected BSE in cows <2 years old.

I've stopped eating hamburger and beef hot dogs--doesn't seem such a hardship really.