BSE origin confirmed

[pandiana]

According to a post on agriculture online, Washington BSE cow orginated from Canada with 74 others. No source was given.

[pandiana]

Now source confirmed CNN. 74 Holsteins shipped from Alberta to a dairy farm in Washington State. Cow was older than originally thought. Alberta Vets are working with US to trace the origin of this herd.

[cowman]

Well there goes the ball game! Doesn't alter the fact that they are screwed too, but I can just imagine what will be said.
Now the question is, how many more BSE cows do we have? Do you think now that the Canadian consumer should consider just how safe beef is? Will our illustrious leaders now see the neccessity of the test? Do you think the Japanese were right all along? Food safety...is it really necessary or can we dazzle them once again with BS?

[rsomer]

If the U.S. can say the cow came from another country such as Canada, the OIE rules say that the U.S. would be considered to be BSE free and beef trade between the U.S. and the rest of the world would immediately return to normal. If such is proven it is Canada that is screwed, the U.S. is laughing. Apparently the U.S. officials used a Canadian CCIA tag to trace the cow to the Canadian border. Lots of questions remain, I am smelling a rat.

[farmboy1]

"U.S. Department of Agriculture officials say they've tentatively confirmed the cow in Washington state infected with mad cow disease came from Canada.

Dr. Ron DeHaven, chief veterinarian for the U.S. Agriculture Department, said Canadian officials have provided records that indicate the animal was born in 1997 and was one of a herd of 74 cattle shipped from Alberta into Idaho in 2001.

All 74 then went to a dairy operation in Mattawa, Washington, DeHaven said. He said it was too early to speculate where the other 73 cows went from there.

"These animals were all dairy cattle and entered the U.S. only about two or two-and-a-half years ago. So most of them are still likely alive,'' DeHaven said.

Since the mad cow case was discovered last week, the United States has lost nearly all of its beef exports, with more than 20 countries banning imports.

If confirmed the cow originated in Canada, the news could devastate Canadian beef producers still recovering from the fallout of the discovery of a mad cow in Alberta earlier this year.

Rod Scarlett of Wild Rose Agricultural Producers, Alberta's largest farm group, calls it "the worst possible news'' for the beef industry. Scarlett says if it's confirmed the cow came from Canada, "it will no doubt have some pretty severe ramifications'' for the industry.

It's unclear whether the Canadian case and the U.S. case could be related. Canada's mad cow was a Black Angus; the U.S. mad cow is believed to be a purebred Holstein -- two distinct breeds, Canada's chief veterinary officer, Brian Evans says.

Just yesterday, Evans said it was unlikely the infected cow would have come from Canada.

"There is no indication at this point in time that they have any supposition or that they are investigating that this is in fact a Canadian origin cow or linked in any way to the finding in Alberta earlier this year," Evans said."
The above quote is from Sympatico's homepage. Why am I not surprised. We'll have to wait until all the facts are out, but this sounds really bad. If this is true, I wonder what border controls will be put in place by the Americans? I'm hoping against hope that the news is good, but I really fear the worst. How in hell can we put a positive spin on this?

[grassfarmer]

I don't know about positive spin but if logic prevails this need not be the disaster it looks to be. IF it is a Canadian cow the Americans are off the hook - their under 30 month cattle trade needn't collapse in price although their cows will. For Canada it should make no difference as our cull cows aren't going anywhere for a while anyway whereas our young cattle could still cross the border in the NewYear.
A result other than this would yet again be simply blatant trade protectionism which has been the case all over the world - BSE is not a disease that affects human health it is one that ruins economies in beef producing countries.

[rsomer]

This from Yahoo.com:

Dr. Brian Evans, chief veterinary officer of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, said it's premature to draw any conclusions about the cow's origins because Canadian and U.S. records that ostensibly refer to the same cow don't agree on key details.


Based on the Canadian records, the diseased cow was 6 1/2-years-old — older than U.S. officials had thought, DeHaven said. U.S. papers on the cow said she was 4- or 4 1/2-years-old.

The age is significant because the United States and Canada have banned feed that could be the source of infection since 1997.

[jensend]

this means we test every animal slaughtered here and ottawa better step up with funding to develop a live animal test. this is the brucellosis of the new millenium. if we want any markets back we will have to work our way back and not rely on the goodwill of anybody else i.e. the americans. the n. american market is over and we will have to market our own beef. another paradigm shift for canadian agriculture.

[Bruce14]

I would assume that the Washington herd will have to be depopulated and tested. I have read where that will involve over 4000 head from the one herd alone.

This would have to happen regardless of where she was born as she has had 3 calves there and was not just a new import.

[raymondb]

If it is confirmed that this cow originated in Canada and had BSE before entering the States , HOW MANY MORE ANIMALS DO WE HAVE WITH BSE? This wlii mean real drastic actions and I am not sure that there will be a Canadian population will to help us. We will carry the consequences. Is or will the dairy herd in Canada be quaranteed?

[jgstuart]

This is has all the makings of a disaster... pure and simple. The inference by the USDA that the infected cow originated from a Canadian herd which was reported by CNN and subsequently picked up by the BBC World News(both of which broadcast around the world)will undoubtedly leave the perception that Canada is contaminated with BSE. And who knows....it may well be confirmed that the cow in question did come from Canada. I think "Cowman" has it right. He has mentioned in several posts that no amount of spin or half measures are adequate. That the only course of action is to test every animal as is done in Japan. Will it be expensive....of course. Will it challenge our logistical capabilities?...undoubtedly. Is it necessary? That all depends on whether we want a serious beef industry here in Canada. Because, should this infected cow prove to have originated from this side of the border, I'm not sure even our fellow citizens will support us this time.

[jgstuart]

This has all the makings of a disaster... pure and simple. The inference by the USDA that the infected cow originated from a Canadian herd which was reported by CNN and subsequently picked up by the BBC World News(both of which broadcast around the world)will undoubtedly leave the perception that Canada is contaminated with BSE. And who knows....it may well be confirmed that the cow in question did come from Canada. I think "Cowman" has it right. He has mentioned in several posts that no amount of spin or half measures are adequate. That the only course of action is to test every animal as is done in Japan. Will it be expensive....of course. Will it challenge our logistical capabilities?...undoubtedly. Is it necessary? That all depends on whether we want a serious beef industry here in Canada. Because, should this infected cow prove to have originated from this side of the border, I'm not sure even our fellow citizens will support us this time.

[jgstuart]

My apologies for the double post.

[topper]

Raymondb: Please get the story straight, the cow in mention is possibly from Canada but that is still to be confirmed by the use of DNA. There is no possible way of telling when the cow got the disease so all of what you say is bunk.

[topper]

Raymondb: before you get too ticked off, I have to apologize for the last post I didn't notice the "if" at the front of your post. I guess the nerves are a little frayed today>