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[RC] USDA Mad Cow News Release 12-23-03 - dixie midnightHere's the scoop from the USDA, along with good news for CanadaUSDA News Release Release No. 0432.03 Alisa Harrison (202) 720-4623 Julie Quick (202) 720-4623 USDA MAKES PRELIMINARY DIAGNOSIS OF BSE WASHINGTON, Dec. 23, 2003?Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has diagnosed a presumptive positive case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in an adult Holstein cow in the state of Washington. ?Despite this finding, we remain confident in the safety of our beef supply,? Veneman said. ?The risk to human health from BSE is extremely low.? Because the animal was non-ambulatory (downer) at slaughter, samples were taken Dec. 9 as part of USDA?s targeted BSE surveillance system. The samples were sent to USDA?s National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa. Positive results were obtained by both histology (a visual examination of brain tissue via microscope) and immunohistochemistry (the gold standard for BSE testing that detects prions through a staining technique). Test results were returned on Dec. 22 and retested on Dec 23. USDA has initiated a comprehensive epidemiological investigation working with state, public health, and industry counterparts to determine the source of the disease. USDA will also work with the Food and Drug Administration as they conduct animal feed investigations, the primary pathway for the spread of BSE. This investigation has begun while the sample is being sent to the world reference laboratory in England for final confirmation. USDA will take the actions in accordance with its BSE response plan, which was developed with considerable input from federal, state and industry stakeholders. BSE is a progressive neurological disease among cattle that is always fatal. It belongs to a family of diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. Also included in that family of illnesses is the human disease, variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD), which is believed to be caused by eating neural tissue, such as brain and spinal cord, from BSE-affected cattle. USDA has determined that the cow comes from a farm in Washington State and as part of the USDA response plan, the farm has been quarantined. After the animal was slaughtered, the meat was sent for processing and USDA?s Food Safety and Inspection Service is working to determine the final disposition of products from the animal. For more information visit www.usda.gov. Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) USDA Actions to Prevent Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) Updated December 22, 2003 2003 In October 2003 USDA published a proposed rule to allow the importation of certain live ruminants and ruminant products and byproducts from minimal risk regions under specified conditions. This proposed rule would place Canada on a list of countries considered a minimal risk for BSE, thus making Canada eligible to export certain live ruminant and ruminant products. USDA Releases a second Risk Assessment by Harvard Center for Risk Analysis in October 2003. In August 2003 Secretary of Agriculture announces that Import Permit Applications for certain ruminant products from Canada will be accepted. The U.S. Department of Agriculture tested 20,543 cattle for BSE in fiscal year 2003. In January 2003 APHIS solicited public comment to develop approaches to control the risk that dead stock and nonambulatory animals could serve as potential pathways for the spread of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, if that disease should ever be introduced into the United States. Comments were taken until March 2003. On May 20, 2003, Canada announced that they had received confirmation from a laboratory in the United Kingdom that a black beef cow from a commercial farm with 150 head of cattle tested positive for BSE. Effective 1:30 p.m. eastern standard time the United Statesprohibited the importation of ruminants and ruminant products from Canada into the United States. 2002 In January 2002, FSIS published a Current Thinking Paper on BSE policy measures to consider public comments on future regulatory and policy recommendations. The paper requested comments on various measures, including actions regarding advanced meat recovery (AMR) systems and prohibiting the use of vertebral column from certain categories of cattle. In June 2002, FSIS announced proposed revisions to existing directives to strengthen AMR systems. A rule was finalized in December 2002, instructing inspectors at beef establishments using vertebral columns as source materials in AMR systems to take routine regulatory samples to verify that spinal cord is not present in AMR product. If spinal cord tissue is present, then the product does not meet FSIS labeling and inspection requirements for meat. In FY 2002 USDA tested 19,990 cattle for BSE using a targeted surveillance approach designed to test the highest risk animals, including downer animals (animals that are non-ambulatory at slaughter), animals that die on the farm, older animals and animals exhibiting signs of neurological distress. 2001 As of February 9, 2001 edible ruminant products from a non BSE country could no longer be transported to a BSE infected country or BSE at risk country for storage or processing unless the material was received stored or processed in a facility that did not receive store or process ruminant material from a BSE affected or BSE at risk country. The intent of this action was to further assure that edible ruminant products from non-BSE countries are not cross-contaminated with ruminant products from a BSE country. On November 30, 2001 the U.S. Department of Agriculture today released a landmark study by Harvard University that shows the risk of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) occurring in the United States is extremely low. The report showed that early protection systems put into place by the USDA and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have been largely responsible for keeping BSE out of the U.S. and would prevent it from spreading if it ever did enter the country. 2000 Surveillance of fallen stock increases even further and USDA regionalizes states to increase coverage. July - Secretary of Agriculture issues Declarations of Extraordinary Emergency and Emergency to seize the two flocks of sheep after 4 animals have been found to have an atypical TSE of foreign origin. As of December 7, 2000, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has prohibited all imports of rendered animal protein products, regardless of species, from Europe. This decision followed the recent determination by the European Union that feed of non-ruminant origin was potentially cross-contaminated with the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) agent. The restriction applies to products originating, rendered, processed or otherwise associated with European products. 1999 October - USDA expands surveillance of fallen stock (downer cows) as evidence in Switzerland supports this population as an effective target. November - USDA publishes proposed rule to strengthen efforts for scrapie eradication. 1998 January - USDA publishes Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to strengthen scrapie control. April - USDA enters into cooperative agreement with Harvard University to analyze and evaluate the Department1s prevention measures. October - In consultation with USDA, State of Vermont quarantines two flocks of sheep imported from Belgium and the Netherlands due to the risk of being exposed to BSE contaminated feed 1997 USDA prohibits the importation of live ruminants and most ruminant products from all of Europe. USDA supports FDA regulations to prohibit the feeding of most mammalian proteins to ruminants. 1996 Risk analysis is updated. 1994 Surveillance expanded to incorporate new technology (immunohistochemistry) of testing brains for the partially resistant form of the prion protein which is indicative of the TSEs. 1993 Surveillance expanded to include examination of brain tissue from "downer cows". Risk analysis is updated. 1991 USDA conducts risk assessment. Results find that conditions in the US and UK are different in regards to amount of sheep rendered. 1990 USDA begins educational outreach of veterinarians, cattle producers, laboratory diagnosticians, etc. about the clinical signs and diagnosis of BSE. USDA initiates active surveillance program to examine brains of U.S. cattle. 1989 USDA bans the importation of live ruminants (cattle, sheep, goats. etc. ) and most ruminant products from the United Kingdom and other countries where BSE was diagnosed. 1988 USDA establishes a BSE Working Group to review available science and recommend appropriate regulatory controls.
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