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Our grass fed beef sales have soared
since the discovery of mad cow disease in Canada this month.
When events like mad cow or E.coli hit the news, families seek
trusted sources for their beef.
Historically, mad cow has never been reported
in cattle which are totally grass fed. The outbreak in Britain and
Europe which occurred 15 years ago has been linked to the practice of
using animal by-products in feeding. As a veterinarian, I know
that providing cattle with their God designed diet of grass and forage
results in the safest beef for families.
We
have received many questions in the last couple of weeks concerning the
Canadian report and about Mad Cow Disease in general. We have
put a summary of these questions and facts together to help our readers have a better
understanding.
What
Is Mad Cow Disease?
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), known in vernacular as Mad
Cow Disease, is one of a group of transmissible spongiform
encephalopathies (TSE). These
transmissible, slowly progressive, degenerative, fatal diseases affect the
central nervous system of many animals including man and cause
neurological symptoms. These
diseases include BSE in cattle, Scrapie in sheep, Chronic Wasting Disease
(CWD) in elk and deer, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) in humans among
others.
What Causes Mad Cow Disease?
The causative agent for these diseases have not been proven
exactly, however, numerous theories exist.
The leading and most accepted theory is that the diseases are
caused by a prion (a protein particle).
Other theories involve a virus, Spiroplasma bacteria,
organophosphates, magnesium, aluminum, and the autoimmune system.
The greatest attention has been given to BSE when evidence in the
1990’s linked it to nvCJD (new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease).
CJD has been recognized with worldwide distribution for at least 80
years and usually has an onset in 60-70 year olds. New variant CJD
(nvCJD) was only recognized in the last decade and has been the
form linked to BSE. It has been seen in young people and even
children.
Though
not proven how, BSE may be spread to humans. Evidence indicates that nvCJD
has occurred after consuming BSE-contaminated cattle products.
Evidence has also indicated that the transmission of BSE to humans is only
possible with the consumption of brain, eyes, lymph nodes or spinal
tissue.
The outbreak of BSE
in cattle, which occurred in Britain, is believed to have started from the
feeding of Scrapie-contaminated sheep meat and bone meal to cattle.
This outbreak was then made worse by the practice of feeding
rendered bovine meat and bone meal to young calves.
What is being done to prevent
mad cow disease from occurring in the United States?
In light of the BSE case reported in Canada this last week, US
agencies moved quickly to prevent any chances of BSE or nvCJD in this
country. To date there have been no reported cases of Mad Cow or nvCJD
in the United States.
All
imports of cattle or beef from Canada have been blocked pending further
investigation. This action is
in addition to the regulations, which were put in place in the mid 90’s.
These included blocking cattle and beef imports from all of Europe,
requiring that all cattle showing any neurological signs upon USDA
inspection be tested for BSE, prohibiting the use of most mammalian
protein in feed, recommending that animal tissues used in drug products
not come from a country with BSE, exclusion of blood from donors spending
more that 6 months in England and funding research.
What can I do to protect myself and my family from
mad cow disease?
The biology of TSE
disease is just starting to be understood.
In the absence of facts, it is easy for paranoia and fear to
overcome. What is the bottom
line on the safety of consuming beef in the United States today?
The following guidelines are aimed at what you can do to protect
yourself and your family from possible exposure to BSE prions in beef.
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