Canadian officials looking for 141 animals - Dairy Herd Management 1/

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Canadian officials looking for 141 animals

 

By Dairy Herd news source (Monday, January 10, 2005)

 

Canadian BSE investigators have identified 141 beef and dairy animals as

birth cohorts, cattle born on the same farm within on year of the birth

of the positive animal. These 93 dairy and 48 beef cattle were all born

between 1995 and 1997.

 

Of the 93 dairy cattle, 55 were bull calves that would have been

slaughtered at a young age. The other 38 were females and investigators

have found that in November 2004 one animal was a downer cow that tested

negative for the disease. Nine additional animals from this group have

been found and quarantined. They will be euthanized and tested for BSE

this week. That leaves 28 dairy animals of interest still as of yet

unidentified.

 

On the beef cattle side of things, investigators are trying to determine

if these animals were exposed to the same risk factors namely

contaminated feed -- or not.

In addition, investigators have found that in February 2002 one of these

birth cohorts was imported into the United States for immediate

slaughter. Officials say there could be others and USDA is working with

Canadian officials to determine if any of these other birth cohorts did

arrive in the U.S. and if so, what is their current status.

 

USDA, in collaboration with FDA, is currently tracing the disposition of

this one birth cohort known to have crossed the border and will provide

further details as they are available.

 

USDA and FDA have had a strong program in place for years to protect

the U.S. livestock population from BSE, said Ron DeHaven, administrator

Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service. Import controls on live

cattle and certain ruminant products from countries at high risk of BSE

were put in place more than 15 months ago.

 

In 1997, both the United States and Canada finalized animal feed bans,

which are the single most important safeguard to prevent the spread of

the disease through the cattle population. Public and animal health in

the U.S. and Canada have also been protected through ongoing

surveillance efforts and inspection of animals at slaughter for

neurological signs, and now by the removal of specified risk materials

from the human food supply.

 

For more details on the Canadian BSE investigation, go to:

http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/anima/heasan/disemala/bseesb/tech/20050107t

eche.shtml

 

USDA, CFIA, Reuters