Canada Finds Third Case of Mad Cow Disease

[Guest guest]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A1925-2005Jan11.html

 

 

 

 

Canada Finds Third Case of Mad Cow Disease

 

By Marc Kaufman

Washington Post Staff Writer

Wednesday, January 12, 2005; Page A07

 

Canadian officials have found a third animal infected with mad cow

disease -- an almost 7-year-old beef cow with no known connection to

the other infected cattle.

 

The cow was born after Canada banned the use of cattle feed that

includes animal parts to try to keep the deadly infection from

spreading. But officials of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said

use of contaminated feed was the most likely source of infection.

 

It was the second discovery of an infected cow in Canada in two

weeks, and both came just after the U.S. Department of Agriculture

announced a controversial plan to reopen the border to imports of live

Canadian cattle. The United States halted trade in live cattle from

Canada after the first infected animal was discovered there in 2003.

 

Despite the two new cases, the USDA said it will resume cross-border

trade.

 

" We remain confident that the animal and public health measures that

Canada has in place to prevent [mad cow disease], combined with

existing U.S. domestic safeguards, provide the utmost protections to

U.S. consumers and livestock, " said W. Ron DeHaven, administrator of

the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. " The result of our

investigation and analysis will be used to evaluate appropriate next

steps. "

 

Because the newly discovered animal was born after Canada imposed its

feed ban, however, the agency will send a technical team to Canada " to

evaluate the circumstances surrounding these recent finds, " DeHaven said.

 

Mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), is a rare

but always fatal disease that can be transmitted to humans who eat

infected meat. In addition to the three infected cows in Canada, an

infected animal born in Canada was found in late 2003 on a farm in

Washington state.

 

The latest animal was the youngest found in North America so far -- 6

years, 9 months old when it was slaughtered. It also is the first

North American case found in a beef cow rather than a dairy cow.

 

The American Meat Institute, the nation's largest meat and poultry

trade association, said the discovery of a third infected animal in

Canada is no cause for concern.

 

" The U.S. should move forward with its decision to import live

Canadian cattle and meat products, because the firewalls to ensure BSE

prevention and food safety are intact, " said James Hodges, president

of the institute's research and education foundation. " BSE-infected

cattle have been detected in Canada, and might be detected in the

U.S., because our BSE-prevention programs work. "

 

But on Monday, the Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, a group

representing mostly smaller-scale cattle producers, sued the U.S.

agency to block the proposed reopening of the border to live animals.

 

" This final rule will expose U.S. consumers to increased risk of a

fatal disease associated with BSE-contaminated meat and will increase

the risk of BSE infection in U.S. cattle, " said Leo McDonnell Jr.,

president of the legal fund. " Additionally, it will expose U.S. cattle

producers to severe economic hardship.

 

Two Democratic lawmakers recently called for hearings into the USDA

decision.

 

Canadian cattle producers, as well as large U.S. multinational

companies with Canadian facilities, have lobbied hard for a resumption

of trade in live cattle.