USA PLANS TO TRIPLE MADCOW TESTING FROM NOTHING TO A LITTLE MORE THAN NOTHING

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Government Plans Big Expansion In Mad Cow Testing

Mar. 9, 2004

 

The government may announce as early as this week an increase in mad cow

testing that could cover virtually all cattle showing any signs of the

disease, according to a testing company official.

 

The new requirement could lead to tests of 200,000 to 300,000 animals a

year, said Fabio Rupp, an official of Prionics, a Swiss-based company

that is one of a number of firms with tests under consideration by the

Agriculture Department.

 

The department hasn't stated exactly how much testing will be expanded,

although Bill Hawks, undersecretary for marketing and regulatory

programs, has described the expansion as " robust. "

 

USDA's stated goal now is to test 40,000 animals a year, double the

number tested before the discovery in December of the first U.S. case of

BSE. The increase to hundreds of thousands of animals would allow

testing of virtually all at-risk cattle, such as those showing symptoms

of the brain-wasting disease, said Rupp.

 

To make such an expansion work, the department would have to approve a

rapid test that could be done in regional or state labs and provide

results within four to six hours. The current testing is done at the

National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa, and can take a

couple of weeks. That lab is currently the only U.S. facility authorized

to test for BSE.

 

The rapid tests would look for the abnormal protein that causes BSE.

These tests work by removing proteins that are not the abnormal one, and

then adding chemicals which bind to the BSE protein, producing a

detectable change such as a difference in color.

 

One version, called ELISA, considers BSE to be present if, for instance,

the color change is above a set intensity. Another version, which is

considered more precise, is called Western Blot. It requires more than

one change before the sample can be classed as having mad cow protein.

 

The Ames lab's test protocol, called immunohistochemistry, requires a

sample of tissue to be sliced and stained to highlight the BSE protein,

and then examined under a microscope for mad cow's telltale holes. This

procedure was followed when the U.S.'s one known case of mad cow was

found in a Washington state Holstein slaughtered Dec. 9.

 

Source: Dow Jones Newswires

 

http://www.cropdecisions.com/show_story.php?id=24008

 

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/03/09/state1459ES\

T7148.DTL & type=health

 

Greetings List Members,

 

COMPOSTING PRIONS

 

wonder how many of those suspected USA mad cows are now being

composted instead of TSE tested and what the future holds for us there $

 

1. Why is the ban on on-farm burial or burning of animal by-products to

be introduced?

<http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/by-prods/fallen/fallenqa.htm#1>

 

We are aware that many farmers have buried stock on their farms for

years and have expressed concern about the justification for this ban.

The rules in the new EU Animal By-Products Regulation, regarding the

disposal of fallen stock, have been influenced by a number of scientific

opinions which take into account factors such as the potential for

polluting water courses and the lack of scientific information available

on how persistent the prions that cause diseases such as BSE and scrapie

are in soil.

 

 

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/by-prods/fallen/fallenqa.htm

 

Animal By-Products Regulation 2003

<http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/by-prods/publicat/ABP%20Regulation%202003.pdf>

Click this icon to view help on pdf

<http://search.defra.gov.uk/help.htm#ffp>

Summary: 1774/ 2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council laying

down health rules concerning animal by- products not intended for human

consumption (d); (b) Commission Regulation (EC) No. 1774/ 2002 of the

European Parliament and of the Council as regar

(Size: 162k, Last Modified: 09 Jun 03,

URL:

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/by-prods/publicat/ABP%20Regulation%202003.pdf)

[ Collection = webcol ]

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http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/by-prods/publicat/ABP%20Regulation%202003.pdf

 

Feds plan expansion of mad cow testing

<http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/lateststories/index.ssf?/base/politics-2/1078862\

945150230.xml>

MLive.com, MI - 1 hour ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — The government may announce as early as this week an

increase

in mad cow testing that could cover virtually all cattle showing any

signs of ...

 

Feds Plan Expansion of Mad Cow Testing

<http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/news/8143899.htm>

Centre Daily Times, PA - 1 hour ago

WASHINGTON - The government may announce as early as this week an

increase in mad

cow testing that could cover virtually all cattle showing any signs of

the ...

 

Feds Plan Expansion of Mad Cow Testing

<http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/journalgazette/8143899.htm>

Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, IN - 1 hour ago

WASHINGTON - The government may announce as early as this week an

increase in mad

cow testing that could cover virtually all cattle showing any signs of

the ...

 

Feds Plan Expansion of Mad Cow Testing

<http://www.timesleader.com/mld/timesleader/news/8143899.htm>

Wilkes Barre Weekender, PA - 1 hour ago

WASHINGTON - The government may announce as early as this week an

increase in mad

cow testing that could cover virtually all cattle showing any signs of

the ...

 

Feds Plan Expansion of Mad Cow Testing

<http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/8143899.htm>

Biloxi Sun Herald, MS - 1 hour ago

WASHINGTON - The government may announce as early as this week an

increase in mad

cow testing that could cover virtually all cattle showing any signs of

the ...

 

Feds Plan Expansion of Mad Cow Testing

<http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/8143899.htm>

Fort Wayne News Sentinel, IN - 1 hour ago

WASHINGTON - The government may announce as early as this week an

increase in mad

cow testing that could cover virtually all cattle showing any signs of

the ...

 

Feds Plan Expansion of Mad Cow Testing

<http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/8143899.htm>

Akron Beacon Journal, OH - 2 hours ago

WASHINGTON - The government may announce as early as this week an

increase in mad

cow testing that could cover virtually all cattle showing any signs of

the ...

 

Feds Plan Expansion of Mad Cow Testing

<http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/consumer_news/8143899.htm>

Kansas City Star, MO - 2 hours ago

WASHINGTON - The government may announce as early as this week an

increase in mad

cow testing that could cover virtually all cattle showing any signs of

the ...

 

US planning big expansion in testing for mad cow

<http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0309madcow09-ON.html>

AZ Central.com, United States - 2 hours ago

WASHINGTON - The government may announce as early as this week an

increase in mad

cow testing that could cover virtually all cattle showing any signs of

the ...

 

Feds Plan Expansion of Mad Cow Testing

<http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/news/local/8143899.htm>

San Luis Obispo Tribune, CA - 2 hours ago

WASHINGTON - The government may announce as early as this week an

increase in mad

cow testing that could cover virtually all cattle showing any signs of

the ...

 

Feds Plan Expansion of Mad Cow Testing

<http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/8143899.htm>

Wichita Eagle, KS - 2 hours ago

WASHINGTON - The government may announce as early as this week an

increase in mad

cow testing that could cover virtually all cattle showing any signs of

the ...

 

Feds Plan Expansion of Mad Cow Testing

<http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/politics/8143899.htm>

Miami Herald, FL - 2 hours ago

WASHINGTON - The government may announce as early as this week an

increase in mad

cow testing that could cover virtually all cattle showing any signs of

the ...

 

 

 

> Agency increases mad cow testing

>

> The USDA will test more cattle and use a faster method.

>

> ELIZABETH WEISE

> Gannett News Service

> March 9, 2004

>

> The U.S. Department of Agriculture is expected to announce as early as

> this week that it probably will triple the number of cattle that it

> plans to test this year for mad cow disease.

>

> The agency also plans to license rapid turnaround tests for the deadly

> disease.

>

> Since the first U.S. case of mad cow was discovered in December in

> Washington, the USDA has been criticized sharply by consumer advocates

> and lawmakers for not testing more extensively.

>

> The agency tested about 20,000 cattle in 2002 and 2003. After a mad cow

> case was discovered in Canada in May, testing was scheduled to be

> stepped up to 40,000 cattle.

>

> Now, 120,000 and or more of the 35 million cattle slaughtered each year

> will be tested. The agency is working to expand its laboratories and

> diagnostic networks to deal with the increase in tests.

>

> Critics have pointed to Europe and Japan, which have long struggled with

> mad cow outbreaks, as countries that aggressively test. Europe tests

> every cow older than 30 months, and Japan tests every cow that is

> slaughtered.

>

> In their defense, U.S. officials have noted that the testing system was

> based for more than 14 years on the presumption that bovine spongiform

> encephalopathy the scientific name for mad cow disease did not exist

> in the United States.

>

> USDA officials also report that a major shift in policy will be the

> introduction of much faster tests for mad cow. Such tests already are

> used in Europe and Japan.

>

> Screening tests used in Europe and Japan take four to six hours,

> compared with the two-week turnaround of U.S. testing. The USDA has been

> accepting applications from testing companies for the past six weeks.

>

> People can contract a version of the brain-wasting disease by eating

> central nervous system tissue from infected cattle.

>

> http://news.statesmanjournal.com/article.cfm?i=76706

>

> USDA plans to triple testing for mad cow

>

>

> By Elizabeth Weise

> USA Today

> March 9, 2004

>

> The U.S. Department of Agriculture is expected to announce as early as

> this week that it probably will triple the number of cattle it plans to

> test this year for mad cow disease.

>

> The agency also plans to license rapid turnaround tests for the deadly

> disease.

>

> Since the first U.S. case of mad cow was discovered in December in

> Washington state, the USDA has been sharply criticized by consumer

> advocates and lawmakers for not testing more extensively.

>

> The agency tested about 20,000 cattle in 2002 and 2003. After a mad cow

> case was discovered in Canada in May, testing was scheduled to be

> stepped up to 40,000.

>

> Now as many as 120,000 and perhaps more of the 35 million cattle

> slaughtered each year will be tested. The agency is working to expand

> its laboratories and diagnostic networks to deal with the increase in

> tests.

>

> Critics have pointed to Europe and Japan, which have long struggled with

> mad cow outbreaks, as countries that aggressively test. Europe tests

> every cow over the age of 30 months, and Japan tests every cow that is

> slaughtered.

>

> http://www.indystar.com/articles/3/127831-2333-010.html

>

> A BANDAID APPROACH TO SOMETHING THAT NEEDED A TOURNIQUITE

> DECADES AGO...

>

> USA MUST TEST ALL CATTLE FOR CONSUMPTION FOR 5 YEARS,

> or they simply don't want to know the truth...

 

 

 

karl theis jr

 

 

http://groups.msn.com/exposureofthetruth

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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