Mad Cow Disease in the U.S.

The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture announced December 25, 2003 the diagnosis of a case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE, also known as mad cow disease) in a dairy cow in Washington State. It was discovered that the infected cow came to the U.S. from Canada in August 2001.
BSE is a degenerative disease affecting the central nervous system of cattle. Scientists believe that rendered feed ingredients contaminated with an infectious agent are the source of BSE infection in cattle. Some cattle feed includes remnants of slaughtered animals, such as meat-and-bone meal (MBM), which may contain the agent that causes BSE. BSE may have originated from giving cows feed that contained MBM processed from sheep infected with scrapie (an infectious neurological disease in sheep and goats, similar to BSE in cows).
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have installed a number of procedures to detect and prevent BSE in U.S. cattle. Since 1990, all U.S. cattle are inspected by a USDA inspector before going to slaughter. Animals with any signs of neurological disorder are tested for BSE. In 1989, the U.S. banned the importation of ruminant animals (cattle, sheep, goat, elk, buffalo, deer) and at-risk ruminant products (such as meat-and-bone meal) from all countries where BSE had been found. In 1997, the USDA expanded this ban to include all live ruminant animals and at-risk products from all European countries. Also in 1997, the FDA banned feed containing ruminant-derived protein (meat-and-bone meal), since the disease is spread through contaminated feed. Evidence shows that the infected cow in the United States was alive prior to the ruminant feed ban implemented in North America in 1997.
Consumers should continue to eat beef with confidence. The USDA and the FDA states that this is an animal disease situation, not a food safety issue. These agencies are taking all actions necessary to protect animal health, consumers and the food supply. For more information about mad cow disease, contact the Enviromental Health Specialist at the Mississippi County Health Department at 683-2191.