Test is Positive

[grassfarmer]

So now what ?????

[les]

I wonder what crow actually tastes like?

[les]

I haven't seen any info on how they are tracing the cow back to the herd of origin, so we better not gloat too soon. Hopefully this will be the beginning of the end of finger pointing over BSE.

[grassfarmer]

They seem to have a slow traceback system - Nov.2004-June 2005. Do you really thing that they haven't started to trace it's origin? More likely they are deciding which story to pull out - Mexican, Canadian, Native depending on market and consumer reaction.
What a joke.

[wd40]

welcome to the real world R-Calf

Everybody better move our of the Dakotas. The Missourie is going to flood fom R-Cow tears.

[blackjack]

...is r-calf going to say...we cannot trade with Canada because we have no traceback... I ask our cattle association do we want to be a part of north america industry where the partner spouts off the rules...but have no way of following themselves...

[blackjack]

The Agricultural Secretary has said that this should in no way hinder the border opening to Canadian cattle !!!

I would think that RCalf is shaking in their boots about now, hoping the cow didn't come from Montana. BUT if she did, will they be able to trace her back to a Canadian dam ?????

At this juncture nothing will surprise me.

[JD4ME]

Very interesting comments about the retest being ordered at the end of this article,



WASHINGTON, Jun 24, 2005 (AP Online via COMTEX) -- Exhaustive tests have confirmed mad cow disease in an animal apparently born in the United States, officials said Friday. It is the second case of the disease confirmed in this country, but Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns stressed there was no threat to public health.

The animal, a "downer" that could not walk, was not killed at a slaughterhouse but at a rendering plant for animals unfit for human consumption, officials said. Johanns would not say where the case turned up, but he said there was no evidence the cow was imported.

"I am encouraged that our interlocking safeguards are working exactly as intended," Johanns said at a news conference. "This animal was blocked from entering the food supply because of the firewalls we have in place. Americans have every reason to continue to be confident in the safety of our beef."

The Agriculture Department said the news also should not affect efforts to lift bans on U.S. beef in Japan and Korea imposed after the first U.S. case in December 2003. Officials in Japan, formerly the largest customer of U.S. beef, have said a positive test result would not deter them from resuming beef imports. Japan agreed to reopen its market last fall but has not actually lifted its ban.

An internationally recognized laboratory in Weybridge, England, confirmed the case Friday after U.S. tests produced conflicting results, Johanns said. Initial screening had indicated the presence of the disease, but the animal was tested and cleared of having the brain-wasting illness.

New tests were ordered two weeks ago. Those results, from a test known as the Western blot, came back positive, leading officials to seek confirmation from the Weybridge lab. The department also performed more tests at its lab in Ames, Iowa.

Mad cow disease - medically known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE - kills brain cells and leaves spongy holes behind. A form of the disease in people is variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. It has been linked to the consumption of contaminated meat. The disease has killed about 150 people worldwide, mostly in Britain.

The first case of mad cow disease in the United States was confirmed in December 2003. It turned up in Washington state in a dairy cow imported from Canada.

The new case was in an animal at least 8 years old, the department said. Like the first case, it was born before the United States and Canada banned cattle parts in cattle feed, which is how the disease is believed to spread.

Officials said the brain tissue samples appeared different from the classical form of mad cow disease seen in Britain, where there was an outbreak in the 1990s, but they are classifying it as mad cow disease, anyway.

Johanns said his department will start conducting the more sensitive Western blot test as a matter of routine. The department has been criticized by consumer groups and cattlemen for not resolving conflicting test results on this animal last November.

The department did initial screening using a "rapid test," which was positive. A more detailed immunohistochemistry, or IHC test, was negative. But the department did not conduct a third round, using the Western blot, until the department's inspector general ordered it to do so two weeks ago, said USDA officials, including the inspector general.

Now the department will use both IHC and Western blot when rapid tests indicate the presence of the disease, Johanns said.

"By adding the second confirmatory test, we boost that confidence and bring our testing in line with the evolving worldwide trend," he said.

U.S. officials escalated testing for the disease after the first U.S. case. More than 388,000 dead cattle have been screened in the past 13 months, compared with about 2,000 screenings annually before the first case.

Earlier in the day, Johanns expressed irritation that the new round of testing had been ordered without his knowledge or approval. Inspector General Phyllis Fong, an internal auditor and investigator, has not explained why she ordered the new tests.

"I was asked by the Senate and the president to operate the department," Johanns told reporters Friday morning. "I believe, in this area, very clearly, the secretary should be consulted, whoever the secretary is, before testing is undertaken. From my standpoint, I believe I was put there to operate the department and was very disappointed."

---

[JD4ME]

I would venture to guess that his days in his position are likely numbered. If it were left to him this positive test would not have happened.

[blackjack]

...we all knew up here sooner or later somebody would slip up down there...unlike the Canadian consumer the Americans might have a harder time convincing their consumer that they have all the road blocks in place...if its been anything like their testing program...it might not be good for any of us ranchers...

[kpb]

I think everyone on this thread better cool their jets. Anyone in Canada who thinks this is good news is simply living in their own little dream world. There is no way, absolutely no way, that this is anything but bad news for Canada.

Do any of you really believe that this will speed up the opening of the border? What do you see that makes you think the U.S., now wounded and with its pride pricked, is going to be more flexible and open about opening the border to Canada? This will make it more difficult, not less, to get our border open. The Americans always react to their difficulties by becoming more closed, more restrictive and more protectionist, not less.

I would kind of hope we'd take a broader view of what our Canadian industry needs to survive, rather than gloating because the U.S.--our largest customer by the way in case all of you have forgotten--has its own BSE. Or does it make sense to all of you to spit in the face of our biggest customer and then wonder why they won't do what we want? You guys must all vote Liberal.


kpb

[kpb]

SPEAK FOR YOURSELF... I have never voted Liberal in my life ! The one we could hope that the US learns from this is that both countries need to work together and keep the industry integrated vs the protectionism that has taken place.
I haven't heard any quotes from our industry groups but I would hope that they are still trying to get a plan B in place vs thinking the border will open any sooner.

[rkaiser]

Or how about a theory from a guy who feels this whole BSE issue (Bull Shit Economics) is about money. And in fact has a notion that the mutinational packers call the shots.

Cebull's decision could very well have meant the end of the gravy train line for Cargil and Tyson, and in fact could have cost them dearly to start BSE testing to get rid of product. Lots of talk from lots of Canadian fronts about BSE testing lately.

Anywhoo, Cargil and Tyson decide that the end is likely for the salmon run, and tell our friend George to find someone like Ms. Fong to find a cow toot sweet.

This American born cow now makes Rlaugh's arguement about quarantineing their country a lost cause.

The border opens in July, no losses for Cargill and Tyson, and the damage caused to packers just south of the line leaves our hero's the best choice for slaughter for a good long time.

Somebody had to say it, didn't they?

[silverback]

Take it easy man. This may not be good news, but time will tell.

I think a lot of people that read this site have been getting sand kicked in our face from the U.S. beef industry for so long now that we can be excused for a little "I knew it" song and dance for a few minutes.

We have earned at least that much for enduring this hell ride for over 2 years.

[grassfarmer]

Thats a bit harsh kpb, I reckon half the posts on this thread share your caution over any potential upside of this news. If there are one or two gloating a bit can you blame them ? - it's a little stress reliever from battle weary producers sick of being on the receiving end of R-Calf and US protectionist BS.
I agree with you entirely that any border opening will not bring instant prosperity to our industry - even if it were to happen any time soon, of which there is no guarantee.