BSE CASE CONFIRMED IN ALBERTA OTTAWA, August 15, 2008

[flounder]

BSE CASE CONFIRMED IN ALBERTA OTTAWA, August 15, 2008 - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a six-year-old beef cow from Alberta. No part of the animal’s carcass entered the human food or animal feed systems.

The animal’s birth farm has been identified, and an investigation is underway. The CFIA is tracing the animal's herdmates at the time of birth and examining possible sources of infection. The age and location of the infected animal are consistent with previous cases detected in Canada.

This case was detected through the national BSE surveillance program, which has been highly successful in demonstrating the low level of BSE in Canada. The program continues to play an important role in Canada’s strategy to manage BSE.

Canada remains a Controlled Risk country for BSE, as recognized by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). Accordingly, this case should not affect exports of Canadian cattle or beef.

- 30 -

For information:

Canadian Food Inspection Agency Media relations: 613-228-6682

http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/anima/heasan/disemala/bseesb/ab2008/14notavie.shtml


Amazing what you will find when you look. The Canadians are doing a far better job than the US in confirming BSE/TSE cases. ...TSS



Wednesday, June 11, 2008

OIE Recognition of the BSE Status of Members RESOLUTION No. XXI (Adopted by the International Committee of the OIE on 27 May 2008)

snip...SEE FULL TEXT with facts and sources @ ;

http://usdavskorea.blogspot.com/2008/06/oie-recognition-of-bse-status-of.html

http://organicconsumers.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=1566

Friday, April 25, 2008

Substances Prohibited From Use in Animal Food or Feed [Docket No. 2002N-0273] (Formerly Docket No. 02N-0273) RIN 0910-AF46

http://madcowfeed.blogspot.com/2008/04/substances-prohibited-from-use-in.html

Review on the epidemiology and dynamics of BSE epidemics

Cases of atypical BSE have only been found in countries having implemented large active surveillance programs. As of 1st September 2007, 36 cases (16 H, 20 L) have been described all over the world in cattle: Belgium (1 L) [23], Canada (1 H)15, Denmark (1 L)16, France (8 H, 6 L)17, Germany (1 H, 1 L) [13], Italy (3 L)18, Japan (1 L) [71], Netherlands (1 H, 2 L)19, Poland (1 H, 6 L)20, Sweden (1 H)21, United Kingdom (1 H)22, and USA (2 H)23. Another H-type case has been found in a 19 year old miniature zebu in a zoological park in Switzerland [56]. It is noteworthy that atypical cases have been found in countries that did not experience classical BSE so far, like Sweden, or in which only few cases of classical BSE have been found, like Canada or the USA.

And last but not least, similarities of PrPres between Htype BSE and human prion diseases like CJD or GSS have been put forward [10], as well as between L-type BSE and CJD [17]. These findings raise questions about the origin and inter species transmission of these prion diseases that were discovered through the BSE active surveillance.

full text 18 pages ;

http://www.vetres.org/index.php?option=article&access=standard&Itemid=129&url=/articles/vetres/pdf/2008/04/v07232.pdf

USA BSE ACTIVE SURVEILLANCE ???

http://bse-atypical.blogspot.com/2008/06/review-on-epidemiology-and-dynamics-of.html

Please remember, the last two mad cows documented in the USA i.e. Alabama and Texas, both were of the 'atypical' BSE strain, and immediately after that, the USDA shut down the testing from 470,000 to 40,000 in the U.S. in 2007 out of about 35 million cattle slaughtered. also, science is showing that some of these atypical cases are more virulent to humans than the typical UK BSE strain ;

***Atypical forms of BSE have emerged which, although rare, appear to be more virulent than the classical BSE that causes vCJD.***

Progress Report from the National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center

An Update from Stephen M. Sergay, MB, BCh & Pierluigi Gambetti, MD

April 3, 2008

http://www.aan.com/news/?event=read&article_id=4397&page=72.45.45

In this context, a word is in order about the US testing program. After the discovery of the first (imported) cow in 2003, the magnitude of testing was much increased, reaching a level of >400,000 tests in 2005 (Figure 4). Neither of the 2 more recently indigenously infected older animals with nonspecific clinical features would have been detected without such testing, and neither would have been identified as atypical without confirmatory Western blots. Despite these facts, surveillance has now been decimated to 40,000 annual tests (USDA news release no. 0255.06, July 20, 2006) and invites the accusation that the United States will never know the true status of its involvement with BSE.

In short, a great deal of further work will need to be done before the phenotypic features and prevalence of atypical BSE are understood. More than a single strain may have been present from the beginning of the epidemic, but this possibility has been overlooked by virtue of the absence of widespread Western blot confirmatory testing of positive screening test results; or these new phenotypes may be found, at least in part, to result from infections at an older age by a typical BSE agent, rather than neonatal infections with new "strains" of BSE. Neither alternative has yet been investigated.

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol12no12/06-0965.htm

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

SCRAPIE USA UPDATE JUNE 2008 NOR-98 REPORTED PA

http://nor-98.blogspot.com/2008/06/scrapie-usa-update-june-2008-nor-98.html

Terry S. Singeltary Sr. P.O. Box 42 Bacliff, Texas USA 77518

[Mrs.Greg]

Pssstttt Terry,Albertas a province....Ottawa's a city in the province of Ontario.....

[Grandad]

BSE... Finally getting the attention it's due.

[Sandhusker]

There must be some mistake. A six-year old would mean it was born in 2002 but the USDA says the feed ban was effective in 1997. Somebody isn't telling the truth here....

[Oldtimer]

[Silver]

[Sandhusker]

If you're asking us to defend the USDA, you're not getting it, Silver.

Can you explain how positives can be born 5 years after the ban was declared effective?

[Bward]

[bse-tester]

Imagine how many positives might show up if all animals were tested??? Not just a very very small percentage!! Truly laughable testing protocols in both countries. Not to mention misleading, dangerous and totally irresponsible on the part of the so-called governments.

So, the feed ban and yet another BSE case rears its ugly head again? Oh well, let the games begin - all over again.

It amazes me to hear the CFIA claim that their testing protocol actually works. Sure, every once in a while, they come forward and say - "Hey people, we got one - another one - but hey people, we caught it before it went into the food chain. Do they do this just to make you guys feel comfy about how they manage that dumb-ass system they seem to have us all relying on??

But hey people - if they do not test all of them - hey people, how many other positive got through??? You know, the ones that had not even began to show clinical signs of carrying the disease????

Like I have said many times before - smoke and mirrors folks - smoke and mirrors.

[RobertMac]

[PORKER]

Ron , Don't let up on getting that Urine BSE test done . We all needed it yesterday.

[bse-tester]

Porker, we are plowing ahead at full speed my friend. No letting up at all. Will be validating for BSE, CWD, CJD & Alzheimer's Disease.