- Hello Jeff - It's important to note that Alberta is the
Canadian Province where Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in deer has been
a problem and is spreading rapidly. I wonder if there is any connection
between the CWD outbreak and the Mad Cow cases there?
-
- Incidentally, Canada is not giving any information as
to the size of the herd where this newest mad cow was found. So, how many
herd mates are we dealing with?
-
- Meanwhile, the 'bright lights' in the UK are proclaiming
BSE and nvCJD are winding down and will soon gone! Yeah, right. And
isn't it slick how ALL the mad cow cases stay NORTH of the US border and
up into Canada? Yep, Mad Cow prions are so clever they respect international
borders! No Mad Cow cases in the US, says the USDA. Sure.
-
- Patty
-
- Mad Cow Disease Found In Alberta Dairy Cow - CFIA
-
-
- By Carrie Tait and Josh Wingrove
- Calgary and Edmonton - Globe and Mail Update
- Published Friday, Mar. 04, 2011 4:42PM EST
- Last updated Friday, Mar. 04, 2011 5:08PM EST
-
- Mad cow disease was found in a dairy cow in Alberta last
month, although no part of the slaughtered cow made it into the human or
animal food chain, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said Friday.
-
- The agency internally confirmed the bovine spongiform
encephalopathy case on February 18 as part of its National BSE Surveillance
Program, according to Alice d'Anjou, a spokesperson for the CFIA.
-
- The cow was discovered after its owner noticed abnormalities,
and called a local veterinarian. In Alberta, the province pays vets to
investigate any possible BSE cases.
-
- The case appeared to be a confirmed one, and a CFIA lab
later confirmed the same, said Gerald Hauer, Alberta's chief veterinarian.
-
- "Our system is working. This sample came through
our BSE surveillance program. It is certainly not unexpected to find new
cases. it shouldn't affect our controlled risk status. It's really not
a major concern," Dr. Hauer said.
-
- With widespread testing going on, it's not unusual to
find such cases, he said.
-
- "It is possible to eradicate [BSE] and we're well
on our way to doing that, it's just going to take longer. Do we expect
to find more cases? Yes, quite frankly," Dr. Hauer said.
-
- Local cattle producers and buyers heard about the test
last month, but aren't concerned.
-
- "The number of cattle we test, we're expecting some
positive reactions. I think we're probably testing way more than the U.S.
is testing," said Bill Jameson, a partner at Saskatchewan's JGL Cattle,
one of Canada's largest independent order buyers of cattle. "As long
as we don't get a big rash of them, the international community knows we're
going to get the odd one."
-
- Canada's beef export industry was decimated when BSE
was first detected in Canada in 2003. Some countries continue to ban Canadian
cattle and meat, although CFIA does not anticipate further pain because
of the new case.
-
- "This case should not affect exports of Canadian
cattle or beef," Ms. d'Anjou, the CFIA spokesperson said. The disease
spreads when cattle eat feed products that are contaminated with proteins
from infected animals. This is the 18th case of BSE in Canada since 2003,
and the most recent since February 2010. BSE has appeared in dairy cattle
in the past, she said.
-
- Ms. d'Anjou would not give details about the size of
the infected cow's herd, or where the cow came from in Alberta. CFIA is
conducting a "full investigation," she said.
-
- Provincial officials downplayed the significance Friday,
saying it's a "controlled risk" in the province and the discovery
wasn't expected to affect beef exports.
-
- More to come.
-
-
- http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/prairies/mad-cow-
disease-found-in-alberta-dairy-cow-cfia/article1930738/
-
-
- Patricia A. Doyle DVM, PhD Bus Admin, Tropical Agricultural
Economics Univ of West Indies Please visit my "Emerging Diseases"
message board at:http://www.emergingdisease.org/phpbb/index.php Also
my new website: http://drpdoyle.tripod.com/ Zhan le Devlesa tai
sastimasa Go with God and in Good Health
-
- Benjamin Franklin said, "They that
- can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve
- neither liberty nor safety."
|
