MAD COW DISEASE FOUND IN THE UNITED STATES

[cowman]

I think the Canadian government has to look out for the health of its people and food safety? Their responsibility is also to the Canadian consumer and not just what the cattle industry might want? If the experts at the food safety end of it say the border should be closed to certain types of meat, do you think the government should ignore them?
After all if they were only playing politics they could ignore the science and slam that border shut. I think Martin and Speller are doing the right thing and following the science instead of acting like the Americans did. We should all be applauding our government in how they are handling this. They are showing themselves to be fair and decent traders, unlike our southern neighbors?

[boone]

cowman, I couldn't agree more. I think it was a proper and measured response. Everyone should keep in mind there will be more information moving behind the scenes than we could know.(good post)

[TOM4CWB]

Incognito and Cowman;

Canada can negotiate just as well after import restrictions are imposed on US beef no question.

But will we, that is the question.

IS beef in Canada and the US safe at this moment?

Scientifically I would suggest it is, especially since "downer" cattle are being rejected in both countries now.

There may be some justification in restricting beef from the PNW, as some feed mills have not followed ruminant restrictions to the letter of the law on feed manufacture over the past few years... which could have a cause and effect on this BSE case. Dairy cattle are most at risk here because few beef cows are fed prepared feed anywhere near the levels of milk cows.

[cowman]

TOM: I would suggest Canadas response was entirely appropriate. Let the muscle cuts/no bone/under 30 months into the country. Exactly the same standards as the Americans require of our beef. The difference is we didn't wait 5 months to allow this to happen. Do you think it would be fair to allow hamburger from Washington dairy cows(perhaps even THE cow) to be fed to our population?
Of course we want to treat the Americans fair...and I repeat a lot more fairer than they treated us. But I don't believe our government should compromise Canadians food safety just to prove a point or appease the Americans.
Is Canadian beef safe? Is American beef safe? Actually we don't know. But if all beef was tested then we would know it was safe. There is a new test coming down the pipes. It is cheap. It is quick. Both our governments need to get with the program and put some money behind it and make testing mandatory. Then there will be no question that our beef is safe and acceptable anywhere in the world. It is a new day in the North American beef market and time to start thinking in a new way.

[TOM4CWB]

Incognito;

I see this on DTN this morning:

"Investigators Trace Diseased Cow to Canada

12/27 10:43a CST
EMILY GERSEMA

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Holstein infected with mad cow disease in Washington state was imported into the United States from Canada about two years ago, federal investigators tentatively concluded Saturday.

Dr. Ron DeHaven, chief veterinarian for the Agriculture Department, said Canadian officials have provided records that indicate the animal was one of a herd of 74 cattle that were shipped from Alberta, Canada, into this country in 2001 at Eastport, Idaho.

"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.

He emphasized that just because the sick cow was a member of that herd, it does not mean that all 74 animals are infected.

Based on the Canadian records, the 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."

Here we go again....

[cowman]

TOM: This is a sad day for everyone. The Americans are going to smear us big time...and maybe with some justification? If we'd listened to the Japanese and done the damned testing we would look a lot better?
In reality part of the blame should go to the Americans. We didn't go that route because it would make them look bad if they didn't test. But a whole lot more of the blame has to go to our "industry leaders" for pooh-poohing the whole idea of a test. Why is it the Japanese can do a test but no one else can? This whole mess could be cleared up tommorrow if we do the test. Will it cost money...for sure! A whole lot of money! But what is the alternative? Reduced consumer confidence, falling prices, the death of an industry? And I think you know when the cattle business crashes big time it will drag a whole lot of other businesses down with it!
Food safety cannot be a PR campaign! We need the real deal! Test the damned cows!

[boone]

cowman; could the size of the cold storage needed to warehouse a continuous stream of carcass beef be part of the resistance? The kill at High River daily times what (six days) for results. Does anybody have the numbers? And then there is Brooks etc.

[TOM4CWB]

Cowman and Boone;

I understand AAFRD is in the process of setting up a lab much like the level 5 secure facility in Winnipeg... and has been in the process of putting this facility together for many months. I heard it from a Deputy Minister in November. THis new facility will have the capibility of doing research into many animal based deseases not just BSE.

Much of the EU checks every beef animal, just like Japan does. I understand much of our deer and elk individual carcases are checked now in Alberta for cronic wasteing desease.

The samples would be matched up with specific carcases in cold storage that are ageing... and in 2-3 days a clearance is given from the sample, then that carcas is released when cleared through the test.

The US has suggested this can be done quickly (2-3days) and for 2-3 cents per pound when integrated into a normally operating processing industry.

Too bad we did not agree with the Japanese 6 months ago and implement this type of system in Canada.

[TOM4CWB]

Incognito;

THis was on DTN Ag News;

Other Media on BSE
12/26 14:15

A scientist who won the Nobel Prize for identifying prions as the source of BSE warned Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman six weeks ago that "it was just a matter of time" before BSE showed up in the U.S., the New York Times reported December 26. The only reason the disease had not shown up previously, the paper quoted Stanley Prusiner as saying, was that USDA tests too few animals. Test more, he said, and "we'll be able to understand the magnitude of our problem."

Prusiner, a neurologist at the University of California at San Francisco, said fast, accurate and inexpensive tests are available, including one that he has patented through his university. He said every cow showing signs of illness should be tested and eventually the U.S. should follow Japan in testing every single animal upon slaughter.

Before Prusiner proposed his prion theory in 1988, scientists thought BSE and other spongiform encephalopathies were caused by a slow-acting virus. Prions are proteins that can fold themselves into alternative shapes that have lethal properties and cause a runaway reaction in nervous tissue. "We want to keep prions out of the mouths of humans," the paper quotes Prusiner as saying. "We don't know what they might be doing to us."

----

[TOM4CWB]

Boone and Cowman;

I thought it would be good to repeat this AB Ag news release;

"August 25, 2003

Alberta invests $15 million in livestock disease and food safety surveillance, lab facilities

Edmonton...Albertans can be assured of having the best animal disease and food safety surveillance systems in the world, thanks to a new livestock testing facility, as well as enhanced surveillance programs and improvements to existing lab facilities.

These improvements were announced today by Shirley McClellan, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (AAFRD) and are already in the process of being implemented. "We know that both Albertans and our international trading partners must be confident in our testing and surveillance systems," she said. "Let me be clear-these changes are about more than simply BSE-they're about ensuring that Alberta has cutting-edge expertise and facilities to deal with emerging animal disease and food safety challenges."

The enhancements to surveillance, which include cross-training staff to deal with surges, hiring two more veterinary pathologists and increased efficiencies in lab procedures, will provide AAFRD with the capacity to deal with surges in sample numbers for testing, ensuring appropriate turnaround time for Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy tests. As well, improvements to the already existing lab facilities will make it easier for Alberta to support the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's enhanced surveillance initiatives.

The enhancements to already existing lab facilities will increase the capability of that lab to diagnose and test the presence of livestock diseases, while increasing worker safety. The new laboratory will be in a level III bio-security building, a significant improvement over AAFRD's existing facilities. It will enhance the ability for AAFRD staff to respond quickly when required to mitigate and control the damage caused by animal disease outbreaks.

The enhancements to the already existing facilities and the new lab will cost approximately $10 million. The enhancements to surveillance are expected to cost $5 million."

How much are other provinces and the feds doing to increase the reliability of our system?

[pandiana]

It is my understanding, from a variety of sources, that despite this proactive stance by the AB govt, the number of animals tested since May have not significantly increased. We can spend all the money but without a committment to carry through with the details this investment too will go the way of the DoDo!

[Incognito]

All the spin doctors; All the copyrighters; All the media CANNOT make this into a purely Canadian problem.

It is and always has been (starting on May 20th) a North American event.

60% of the US herd is within 600 miles of the US/Can border. Treat it as a N/A problem and do it quickly. The bad thing about holidays is the media had their way for three days.

Good luck everyone.

[TOM4CWB]

Incognito;

I see this on DTN today;

"Canada: Origin Inconclusive

12/30 09:40
TORONTO (AP) - Canadian officials downplayed the significance of the origins of a Holstein infected with mad cow disease, saying Monday other factors need examination before concluding a Canadian farm was the source.

Canada's minister of agriculture said finding the source of the animals feed was also important.

"Finding out where the cow came from is only one aspect. It's equally important to find out in fact where the feed came from that gave the cow BSE and also particularly where that cow contracted it," said Agriculture Minister Bob Speller at a press conference in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

He also said it was essential to ensure proper tagging and slaughterhouse procedures were followed, and that Canada and the United States have begun separate DNA tests, but did not know when results could be expected.

The remarks were his first since the U.S. Agriculture Department announced Saturday it believed the sick cow found in Washington came from a farm north of Edmonton, Alberta."

I am rather astounded that no beef animals have been slaughtered in the herds that were directly related to this cow... a week has gone by and no sign that the US is directly checking for BSE in these herds... WHAT is going on?

We need to test for BSE in related herds here in Alberta... if in fact this Wash. mad cow was imported from Alberta... strange how this is being handled... like no-one really wants to do more BSE testing!

[Incognito]

They are afraid of what they will find, Tom.

[cowman]

Or perhaps it is difficult to get 4000 head slaughtered at this time of year? We need to wait and keep our powder dry until we get the whole story? Does it really matter if we slaughter those cows right today...after all they are quarentined?
I suspect right now the Americans are in shock. Sort of like we were May 20th? If they need some time to do what they have to do is that a bad thing? We all need to chill on this thing and have some faith in our food safety officials.