# Re: American Beef Supply at Risk



## terry (Sep 13, 2002)

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: American Beef Supply at Risk
Date: Fri, 23 May 2003 17:11:59 -0500
From: "Terry S. Singeltary Sr." <[email protected]>
Reply-To: Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]


######## Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy #########

Greetings,

i would like to thank Dr. Greger for this article, well put, and the
best i have read. most other articles contained a lot of BSeee, [email protected],
half lies, whole lies, false reassurances, etc...

however i would like to point out a few things.

Dr. Greger writes;

"because of NAFTA, there is no mandatory country of origin
labeling from Canada, so there is currently no way for American
consumers to know for certain if the beef they are eating came
from Canada or not.[6] This is unfortunately not the first time
the United States has imported cattle and beef products from
countries at risk"...

This labeling should be _quite_ irrelevant. If there is BSE in
Canada, the risk from US cattle/US beef products will be at
least equivalent, considering the enormous amounts of live cattle
and MBM that have been traded yearly for many years between
Canada and USA. (The contamination might even have originated in
US cattle. will we ever know where and how it started?) US
consumers should not worry about Canadian beef products only,
but about both Canadian and US beef products. Both countries
should immediately ban SRM and mechanically recovered meat,
and ban dangerous pneumatic guns in abattoirs. Before such a
ban becomes effective, north-American consumers should choose
local pork, poultry, fish, _veggies_, or beef imported from
South America or Australia/New Zealand (if such beef is
labelled with country of origin?)

I am surprised to have seen no official statement about what
they are going to do in Canada _and the USA_. what happened to
the USA contingency plans for what they will do in case of first
detection of indigenous BSE? It would be logical for Canada and
USA to have the same contingency plan for BSE. Whether the first
reported case is Canadian born or born in USA seems to me
_very_ irrelevant. better than just putting a sign up on the
farm for the media that says, ''farmer out of town''.
When Denmark discovered their first case in february 2000,
the SRM ban was published almost immediately. do we have
seperate regulatory policies for BSE/TSEs from one side
of the big pond to the other?

However, at the end of his article, Dr. Greger says:

"The U.S. and Canada have basically the same safeguards in place,
with the same loopholes and the same inadequate surveillance. If
Canada has mad cow disease, then it stands to reason that the
United States does as well..."

here I totally agree! and the rest of the article is very
interesting.

also, i just don't understand the Asian countries _only_ banning Canadian
beef, and _not_ USA beef and beef products. this makes no sense at all
to me and is only a cosmetic approach, very illogical.

The finding of indigenous BSE (home grown BSE) in Canada
will/should of course affect many future BSE-risk assessments
of the EU SSC. i have been begging the EU SSC for years right
here on this list and have written them personally and also
to the OIE about the USA GBR being changed to GBR III due to
the many TSEs and i have also ask them to change the GBR risk
assessment overall to include _all TSEs_. this is a no-brainer!
BUT, not only should it affect the risk assessments for Canada
and the USA, but also the many countries that have imported
significant quantities of cattle and/or MBM from Canada and the
USA. Canada sends most of its MBM-exports to the USA, but the USA
exports much more MBM than Canada, to Mexico, Indonesia, Egypt,
etc. and most of this MBM has not been properly treated at 133*C/3
bar, and includes SRM, and fallen stock. we are simply passing
this agent on to other countries that will pass it on and on, as
did the UK in the early days.

Previously, 3 countries classified by EU-SSC in category 2 have
detected indigenous BSE-cases : Austria, Finland and Slovenia.
They were re-assessed in category 3.

The same should now happen for USA and Canada _immediately_!

here are some examples of really ignorant statements
recently in the media;

"Prime Minister Jean Chretien ... said Canada had one of
the best inspection systems in the world and it was still
too early to jump to conclusions.... If it is one herd, it's
not the same thing than if it is spread," Chretien said"

"we have all indication that it is one cow in one herd."

"Mad cow is unlikely to have much impact if it turns out to be one
incident and evaporates from the news..."

"It's one of those isolated things - it don't mean a thing."

"A second case of the disease would instill consumer fear
and cause disarray if the U.S. border is closed to Canadian
beef for weeks rather than days"

"Canada's economic growth could be reduced by half a percentage
point or more if the beef import bans by other countries last
until the end of June."

holy mad cow, do they really think the problem will 'disappear'
in a few weeks or months or years, for something to have taken
years and years to incubate, until someone accidently found it?
how many more are there? they _must_ get serious about testing!

the USA keeps bragging about there testing. this is rediculous!
to Aug. 2001, there had only been 12,500 cattle EVER TESTED
in the USA HISTORY! then they double and or triple that and
want a pat on the back. not going to happen here!

1 MILLION RAPID TSE/BSE TEST IN THE USA ANNUALLY FOR FIVE YEARS,
or they simply do not want to find. if they are serious, this is
what they must do.

Austria and Finland have had only one BSE-case each in 2001,
no case later, although they have had very adequate active
surveillance for 2 1/2 years. Austria has tested more than
440,000 cattle in 2001 + 2002, of which 22,300 risk animals.
Finland has tested 164,875 cattle in 2001 + 2002, of which
40,293 risk animals. Bovine adult populations in Austria and
Finland are 1 and 0,4 million respectively, where as the USA
adult cattle population is close to 40 million, total pop.
at 100+ MILLION, with about 37 MILLION slaughtered each year.

If the USA and Canada do not initiate a real, serious surveillance
program, they will not be credible in their "one cow, one isolated
incident" statements. Anyway, re-assessment to category 3 now seems
unavoidable both for Canada and USA, if there is any credibility
left at all in the GBR assessment program of the ''BSE ONLY THEORY''.

Finland and Austria - (and Sweden which is still in category 2 with
no detected BSE) - all have an "optimal stability" against
recycling/amplification of TSE's, whereas Canada/USA have done almost
nothing to increase their stability, only a partial/voluntary feed ban,
introduced very late 8/4/97, 9 years after the first British ruminant
feed ban and 3 to 7 years after the first feed bans in European
countries.

Many journalists dont seem to understand the difference between a
mammalian MBM ban and a "only ruminant" MBM ban, and the possibility
for cross contaminations when there is no total ban for all food
producing species - or when a country does not require totally separate
feed mills for ruminant feeds.

more BSeee below from media;

"Both Canada and the United States outlawed the feeding of meat and bone
meal to cattle, sheep and goats in 1997, the main defense against the
disease."

(this is a half-false statement)

One may wonder if Veneman (and others) know anything at all about BSE,
or about trade between Canada and USA;

"It is important to note that the risk to humans and the risk to animals
is very low,'' (US Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman )

"Information suggests that risk to human health and the possibility of
transmission to animals in the United States is very low," U.S. Agriculture
Secretary Ann Veneman said in a statement"

"American consumers should be confident that their food is safe because
of the ban and because the U.S. government routinely tests for the
disease"

"American consumers can still buy and eat beef without worry, said Julie
Quick, spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. "This is an
isolated case in Canada, and the borders are closed"

Are they totally ignorant or just pretending to be for political reasons
and/or to "avoid panic". i don't think the panic will happen in the
USA, Consumers are too stupid, they simply don't care (i hope i
don't get dixie chicked for saying that).

This is reminiscent of statements from UK officials before 1996 (various
"British beef is safe" statements analysed later by the BSE Inquiry).
In UK before 1996, vCJD was only a theoretical possibility. In 2003, the
very real risk of vCJD has been known for 7 years, PLUS, the new findings
from Asante/Collinge et al, that BSE transmission to the 129-methionine
genotype can lead to an alternate phenotype that is indistinguishable from
type 2 PrPSc, the commonest _sporadic_ CJD;

http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/ac/03/slides/3923s1_OPH.htm

PLUS we must not let them forget about the real possibility of BSE going
back to sheep, even if you don't believe that some or all phenotypes of
scrapie do not transmit to man (without ever testing), even though they
transmit to primates.

In the UK, they had an SRM ban (not very well enforced) since 1989, and
MRM ban since 1995. In the USA they still have no adequate ban in 2003,
no adequate surveillance system in 2003.

WHEN will there be BSE/CJD-Inquiries in Canada and USA?

WHEN will they make CJD reportable Nationally and issue
a CJD Questionnaire to each victims family?

WHEN will they start rapid TSE/BSE testing cattle in
numbers suffient to find them (1 Million annually for 5 years)?

WHEN will the FDA reply to my FOIA request of _all_
ruminant-to-ruminant feed ban violations as asked?

BMJ

http://www.bmj.com/cgi/eletters/319/7220/1312/b#EL2

BMJ

http://www.bmj.com/cgi/eletters/320/7226/8/b#EL1

JAMA

http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/conten...&stored_search=&FIRSTINDEX=0&journalcode=jama

NEUROLOGY

http://www.neurology.org/cgi/eletters/60/2/176#535

TSS

Terry S. Singeltary Sr. wrote:

> ######## Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy 
> #########
>
> American Beef Supply at Risk
>
> by Michael Greger, M.D. for the Organic Consumers Association
> http://www.organicconsumers.org/madcow.htm
>
> May 21, 2003
>

for full text of ''American Beef Supply at Risk''

http://disc.server.com/discussion.cgi?id=167318;article=682

TSS


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## trout (Jan 17, 2000)

All of the media has told us nothing but Lies.
I hope we ban Canadian Beef NOW!
Can you imagine life with out a cheeseburger?


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## riverman (Jan 9, 2002)

Trout, Ban the import of Canadian beef and I dought you will be eating very many cheeseburgers because the price would probably double. More beef would be imported in from Mexico and Argentina. Ever wonder what the slaughterhouses in those country might look like or what inspections are done that we take for granted here in the US and Canada. Just a little "food" for thought! Riverman


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## trout (Jan 17, 2000)

Most likely we'd just help the US Beef farmers out.
Imports are killing the farmers here now.


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## riverman (Jan 9, 2002)

And the American dairy farmers since alot of the lower end cuts and burger come from culled dairy cows. For the sake of our economy and cheeseburgers, lets hope this is a isolated case and confined to Canada. The impact of BSE in this country would effect everyones pocket book and create political issues never faced before. Riverman


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## trout (Jan 17, 2000)

I agree.
We don't neeed BSE here in N. America
But they are still making and feeding Animal by products to cows I guess?


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## terry (Sep 13, 2002)

i agree we don't need it here, but it's
been here, just not documented.
thats why they test 'NOT' to find
TSE/BSE. compare figures;

To be published in the Proceedings of the
Fourth International Scientific Congress in
Fur Animal Production. Toronto, Canada,
August 21-28, 1988

Evidence That Transmissible Mink Encephalopathy
Results from Feeding Infected Cattle

_ - R.F. Marsh* and G.R. Hartsough

Department of Veterinary Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison,
Wisconsin 53706; and ^Emba/Creat Lakes Ranch Service, Thiensville, Wisconsin 53092

ABSTRACT
Epidemiologic investigation of a new incidence of
transmissible mink encephalopathy (TME) in Stetsonville, Wisconsin
suggests that the disease may have resulted from feeding infected
cattle to mink. This observation is supported by the transmission of
a TME-like disease to experimentally inoculated cattle, and by the
recent report of a new bovine spongiform encephalopathy in
England.

INTRODUCTION

Transmissible mink encephalopathy (TME) was first reported in 1965 by Hartsough
and Burger who demonstrated that the disease was transmissible with a long incubation
period, and that affected mink had a spongiform encephalopathy similar to that found in
scrapie-affecied sheep (Hartsough and Burger, 1965; Burger and Hartsough, 1965).
Because of the similarity between TME and scrapie, and the subsequent finding that the
two transmissible agents were indistinguishable (Marsh and Hanson, 1969), it was
concluded that TME most likely resulted from feeding mink scrapie-infecied sheep.
The experimental transmission of sheep scrapie to mink (Hanson et al., 1971)
confirmed the close association of TME and scrapie, but at the same time provided
evidence that they may be different. Epidemiologic studies on previous incidences of
TME indicated that the incubation periods in field cases were between six months and
one year in length (Harxsough and Burger, 1965). Experimentally, scrapie could not be
transmitted to mink in less than one year.
To investigate the possibility that TME may be caused by a (particular strain of
scrapie which might be highly pathogenic for mink, 21 different strains of the scrapie
agent, including their sheep or goat sources, were inoculated into a total of 61 mink.
Only one mink developed a progressive neurologic disease after an incubation period of
22 mon..s (Marsh and Hanson, 1979). These results indicated that TME was either caused
by a strain of sheep scrapie not yet tested, or was due to exposure to a scrapie-like agent
from an unidentified source.

OBSERVATIONS AND RESULTS

A New Incidence of TME. In April of 1985, a mink rancher in Stetsonville, Wisconsin
reported that many of his mink were "acting funny", and some had died. At this time, we
visited the farm and found that approximately 10% of all adult mink were showing
typical signs of TME: insidious onset characterized by subtle behavioral changes, loss of
normal habits of cleanliness, deposition of droppings throughout the pen rather than in a
single area, hyperexcitability, difficulty in chewing and swallowing, and tails arched over
their _backs like squirrels. These signs were followed by progressive deterioration of
neurologic function beginning with locomoior incoordination, long periods of somnolence
in which the affected mink would stand motionless with its head in the corner of the
cage, complete debilitation, and death. Over the next 8-10 weeks, approximately 40% of
alt the adult mink on the farm died from TME.
Since previous incidences of TME were associated with common or shared feeding
practices, we obtained a careful history of feed ingredients used over the past 12-18
months. The rancher was a "dead stock" feeder using mostly (>95%) downer or dead dairy
cattle and a few horses. Sheep had never been fed.

Experimental Transmission. The clinical diagnosis of TME was confirmed by
histopaihologic examination and by experimental transmission to mink after incubation
periods of four months. To investigate the possible involvement of cattle in this disease
cycle, two six-week old castrated Holstein bull calves were inoculated intracerebrally
with a brain suspension from affected mink. Each developed a fatal spongiform
encephalopathy after incubation periods of 18 and 19 months.

DISCUSSION
These findings suggest that TME may result from feeding mink infected cattle and
we have alerted bovine practitioners that there may exist an as yet unrecognized
scrapie-like disease of cattle in the United States (Marsh and Hartsough, 1986). A new
bovine spongiform encephalopathy has recently been reported in England (Wells et al.,
1987), and investigators are presently studying its transmissibility and possible
relationship to scrapie. Because this new bovine disease in England is characterized by
behavioral changes, hyperexcitability, and agressiveness, it is very likely it would be
confused with rabies in the United Stales and not be diagnosed. Presently, brains from
cattle in the United States which are suspected of rabies infection are only tested with
anti-rabies virus antibody and are not examined histopathologically for lesions of
spongiform encephalopathy.
We are presently pursuing additional studies to further examine the possible
involvement of cattle in the epidemiology of TME. One of these is the backpassage of
our experimental bovine encephalopathy to mink. Because (here are as yet no agent-
specific proteins or nucleic acids identified for these transmissible neuropathogens, one
means of distinguishing them is by animal passage and selection of the biotype which
grows best in a particular host. This procedure has been used to separate hamster-
adapted and mink-udapted TME agents (Marsh and Hanson, 1979). The intracerebral
backpassage of the experimental bovine agent resulted in incubations of only four months
indicating no de-adaptation of the Stetsonville agent for mink after bovine passage.
Mink fed infected bovine brain remain normal after six months. It wili be essential to
demonstrate oral transmission fiom bovine to mink it this proposed epidemiologic
association is to be confirmed.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
These studies were supported by the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences,
University of Wisconsin-Madison and by a grant (85-CRCR-1-1812) from the United
States Department of Agriculture. The authors also wish to acknowledge the help and
encouragement of Robert Hanson who died during the course of these investigations.

REFERENCES
Burger, D. and Hartsough, G.R. 1965. Encephalopathy of mink. II. Experimental and
natural transmission. J. Infec. Dis. 115:393-399.
Hanson, R.P., Eckroade, R.3., Marsh, R.F., ZuRhein, C.M., Kanitz, C.L. and Gustatson,
D.P. 1971. Susceptibility of mink to sheep scrapie. Science 172:859-861.
Hansough, G.R. and Burger, D. 1965. Encephalopathy of mink. I. Epizoociologic and
clinical observations. 3. Infec. Dis. 115:387-392.
Marsh, R.F. and Hanson, R.P. 1969. Physical and chemical properties of the
transmissible mink encephalopathy agent. 3. ViroL 3:176-180.
Marsh, R.F. and Hanson, R.P. 1979. On the origin of transmissible mink
encephalopathy. In Hadlow, W.J. and Prusiner, S.P. (eds.) Slow transmissible
diseases of the nervous system. Vol. 1, Academic Press, New York, pp 451-460.
Marsh, R.F. and Hartsough, G.R. 1986. Is there a scrapie-like disease in cattle?
Proceedings of the Seventh Annual Western Conference for Food Animal Veterinary
Medicine. University of Arizona, pp 20.
Wells, G.A.H., Scott, A.C., Johnson, C.T., Cunning, R.F., Hancock, R.D., Jeffrey, M.,
Dawson, M. and Bradley, R. 1987. A novel progressive spongiform encephalopathy
in cattle. Vet. Rec. 121:419-420.

http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/

Is there a Scrapie-like disease in cattle in USA

http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/mb/m09a/tab01.pdf

FDA Issues Draft Guidance on Use of Material From Deer and Elk in Animal
Feed

http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/ANSWERS/2003/ANS01220.html

TSS SUBMISSION TO FEDERAL DOCKET ON DRAFT GUIDANCE ON USE OF MATERIAL
FROM DEER AND ELK IN ANIMAL FEED (if this url does not change again? it
will be posted here for viewing for
those interested...TSS)

http://www.vegsource.com/talk/madcow/messages/448.html

TESTING TO DATE;

As of April 30, 2003, over 48,000 brains have been examined
for BSE or another form of a TSE in cattle (figure 3 <http://www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/issues/bse/figure3.html>).
DEAD URL...TSS

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/issues/bse/bse-surveillance.html

NOW, compare to testing figures of other Countries that once thought
they too were BSE/TSE free, until massive testing started, plus, compare
total cattle populations to USA;
Monthly reports of Member States on BSE and Scrapie (updated)

http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/bse/testing/bse_results_en.html

NOW, how did we get into this mess?

from a half-ass (partial), _voluntary_ feed ban, that know one new much
about, and no one ever enforced!

i know, i sat in on the 50 state emergency BSE conference call;

From - Tue Jan 09 13:46:44 2001

From: "Sandy Blakeslee" <[email protected]> To:
<[email protected]> Subject: fda conference Date: Tue, 9 Jan 2001 12:27:06
-0700
Terry -- I understand you taped and listened in on the FDA conference
today. I missed it. I'm writing an update on BSE in the US for my paper
(NYTimes) and would like to know what was discussed today. Might I call
you? Where can I reach you? Sandy
Sandra Blakeslee
[email protected]

505 982 xxxx
Subject: Re: BSE 50 STATE CONFERENCE CALL thread from BSE List and FDA
Posting of cut version... Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2001 22:02:47 -0700 From:
"Sandy Blakeslee" <[email protected]> To: "Terry S. Singeltary
Sr." <[email protected]> References: 1
Hi terry -- thanks for all your help. I know it made a difference with
the FDA getting out that release.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Terry S. Singeltary Sr." <[email protected]> To:
<[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, January 11, 2001 2:06 PM
Subject: BSE 50 STATE CONFERENCE CALL thread from BSE List and FDA
Posting of cut version...

http://www.vegsource.com/talk/lyman/messages/8219.html
http://www.vegsource.com/talk/lyman/messages/8220.html
http://www.vegsource.com/talk/lyman/messages/8221.html
http://www.vegsource.com/talk/lyman/messages/8222.html
http://www.vegsource.com/talk/lyman/messages/8230.html


hi sandy,...SNIP...END//

i know nobody wants to hear this, neither did i, but it's a fact. one we must _face_,
not run from. for anyone that wants to read full text of;

BSE/TSE BOVINE CANADA & USA -- A COMPARISON OF BSE/TSE TESTING AND REGULATIONS

go here;

http://www.vegsource.com/talk/madcow/messages/479.html

i was in a disgusted mood when writing this, it's just been too long
of ignoring the obvious$ and i had been reading too much BSeee in
the media that was so far from the truth, i just about hurt myself.
so a few of my comments may not set well, but some interesting
data. the specks are moving outback, so it's time far a serious walkabout.
started catching em last week, told no one to bother me unless a
mad cow is reported in North America (really i did say that). been
waiting 6 years for it, and what happens, they accidently stumble onto
one and just slap it in the freezer and forgot about it. waited for me to
start catching fish some 4 months later to announce it.
father-in-law down, waded outback loaded up on specks 2 days over
memorial weekend and i had to go clean em (boo hoo),
while writing reports other reporters etc. will get credit for,
and some will/have even won prize and cash, not even going there.
i need a break and this computer is looken more like a boat-anchor
everyday...

still disgusted in Bacliff, TEXAS USA 

TSS


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## terry (Sep 13, 2002)

walkabout called off. wind blowing 
about 20 knots...some more mad cow
news.....TSS


-------- Original Message --------
Subject: FDA BSE Update - Pet Food from Canadian Manufacturer & MAD DOG DATA
Date: Tue, 27 May 2003 08:07:58 -0500
From: "Terry S. Singeltary Sr." <[email protected]>
To: Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy <[email protected]>


Statement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Statement
May 26, 2003

Media Inquiries: 301-827-6242
Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA


FDA BSE Update - Pet Food from Canadian Manufacturer

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has learned from the government 
of Canada that rendered material from a Canadian cow that last week 
tested positive for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, also known as 
mad cow disease) may have been used to manufacture pet food, 
specifically dry dog food, some of which was reported to have been 
shipped to the United States. The Canadian government prevented the BSE 
positive cow from being processed for human food. Therefore, consumers 
can be assured that their food does not contain any remnants of the BSE 
positive cow.

It is also important to stress that there is no scientific evidence to 
date that dogs can contract BSE or any similar disease. In addition 
there is no evidence that dogs can transmit the disease to humans.

FDA notified the U.S. pet food firm, The Pet Pantry International, of 
Carson City, Nevada, when FDA learned that the pet food that the firm 
received may have included rendered material from the BSE positive cow. 
The manufacturer of the pet food is Champion Pet Food, Morinville, 
Alberta. Even though there is no known risk to dogs from eating this dog 
food, as a prudent measure to help assure that the U.S. stays BSE free 
The Pet Pantry International is asking its customers who may have 
purchased the suspect product to hold it for pickup by the distributor 
so that the dog food will not mistakenly be mixed into cattle or other 
feeds if any of the dog food is discarded or otherwise not used to feed 
dogs. The suspect dog food was produced by Champion Pet Food between 
February 4, 2003, and March 12, 2003.

The Pet Pantry products were packaged in 50 lb bags, distributed to 
franchises around the country, and sold by home delivery only. There was 
no retail distribution of the product. Consumers purchase Pet Pantry 
products by phone or email orders. The product is then delivered by the 
nearest franchisee directly to the consumers home.

The product subject to this notification includes Maintenance Diet 
labeled with a use by date of 17FEB04 and Beef with Barley with a 
use by date of 05MAR04. Consumers who have purchased dog food from The 
Pet Pantry since February of this year are asked to check their present 
supplies and see if any match the description of the product being 
removed. If so, consumers are asked to contact The Pet Pantry at 
1-800-381-7387 for further information on how to return the product to 
The Pet Pantry for proper disposal. Consumers are asked not to destroy 
or discard the product themselves. The Pet Pantry will also use its 
sales records to contact consumers who purchased the affected product.

FDA is working closely with the Pet Pantry International to assure for 
proper disposal of the recovered product.

FDA will continue to provide updates on this case of BSE in Canada as 
additional information becomes available.

http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2003/NEW0910.html

It was thought likely that at least some, and probably all, of the cases
in zoo animals were caused by the BSE agent. Strong support for this
hypothesis came from the findings of Bruce and others (1994)
( Bruce, M.E., Chree, A., McConnell, I., Foster, J., Pearson, G. &
Fraser, H. (1994) Transmission of bovine spongiform encephalopathy and
scrapie to mice: strain variation and species barrier. Philosophical
Transactions of the Royal Society B 343, 405-411: J/PTRSL/343/405
), who demonstrated that the pattern of variation in incubation period
and lesion profile in six strains of mice inoculated with brain
homogenates from an affected kudu and the nyala, was similar to that
seen when this panel of mouse strains was inoculated with brain from
cattle with BSE. The affected zoo bovids were all from herds that were
exposed to feeds that were likely to have contained contaminated
ruminant-derived protein and the zoo felids had been exposed, if only
occasionally in some cases, to tissues from cattle unfit for human
consumption.

snip...

http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/ws/s324.pdf

cases have been reported in domestic cats), are characterised by
long asymptomatic incubation periods followed by progressive
symptoms and signs of degeneration of the brain, leading
eventually to death.

http://www.bsereview.org.uk/download/draft_2.pdf

PET FOODS MAD CATS AND MAD DOGS BSE/TSEs

worse still, there is serious risk the media could get
to hear of such a meeting...

snip...

Crushed heads (which inevitably involve brain and spinal cord material)
are used to a limited extent but will also form one of the constituent
raw materials of meat and bone meal, which is used extensively in
pet food manufacturer...

http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1989/03/17004001.pdf

2. The Parliamentary Secretary said that he was concerned
about the possibility that countries in which BSE had not
yet been detected could be exporting raw meat materials
(in particular crushed heads) contaminated with the disease
to the UK for use in petfood manufacture...

snip...

YOU explained that imported crushed heads were extensively used in the
petfood industry...

http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1989/04/14001001.pdf

In particular I do not believe one can say that the levels of
the scrapie agent in pet food are so low that domestic animals are
not exposed...

http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1989/04/24003001.pdf

http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1989/04/25001001.pdf

some 100+ _documented_ TSE cats of all types later...tss

on occassions, materials obtained from slaughterhouses
will be derived from sheep affected with scrapie or
cattle that may be incubating BSE for use in petfood manufacture...

http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1989/05/03007001.pdf

Meldrum's notes on pet foods and materials used

http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1989/05/16001001.pdf

http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1989/05/16002001.pdf

IN CONFIDENCE CJD TO CATS...

http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1989/05/18002001.pdf

Confidential BSE and __________________

http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1989/05/22012001.pdf

1st case natural FSE

http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1990/05/09002001.pdf

FSE and pharmaceuticals

http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1990/05/10005001.pdf

confidential cats/dogs and unsatisfactory posture
MAFFs failure to assure key research

http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1990/06/14006001.pdf

can't forget about the mad man and his mad cat;

Deaths of CJD man and cat linked

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/184558.stm

In October 1998 the simultaneous occurrence of spongiform encephalopathy
in a man and his pet cat was reported. The report from Italy noted that
the cat did not display the same clinical features as FSE cases
previously seen. Indeed, the presence of a new type of FSE was
suggested. The man was diagnosed as having sporadic CJD, and neither
case (man nor cat) appeared to be affected by a BSE-related condition.

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/bse/bse-science/level-4-othertses.html

indeed there have been 4 documented cases of TSE in Lions to date.

Lion 32 December 98 Born November 86

Lion 33 May 1999 (euthanased) Born November 81.

Lion 36 Euthanased August 2000 Born July 87. Deteriorating hind limb
ataxia.

Lion 37 Euthanased November 2001 Male, 14 years. Deteriorating hind
limb ataxia since September 2001. (Litter mate to Ref. 36.)

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/bse/index.html

go to the url above, on the bar at the top, click on _statistics_,
then in middle of next page, click on _other TSEs_.

or go here;

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/bse/bse-statistics/level-3-tsestat.html

and

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/bse/bse-science/level-4-othertses.html

http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1992/11/13001001.pdf

also;

Reports on the clinical symptoms presented by these cats give a
relatively homogeneous picture: Affected cats show a lack of
coordination with an ataxia mainly of the hind limbs, they often fall
and miss their target when jumping. Fear and increased aggressiveness
against the owner and also other animals is often seen. They do not
longer tolerate to be touched (stroked) and start hiding. These
behavioural chances might be the result of a hypersensibility to touch
and noise, but also to increased fear. Excessive salivation is another
more frequently seen symptom. Cats with FSE in general show severe
behavioural disturbances, restlessness and depression, and a lack of
coat cleaning. Symptoms in large cats in general are comparable to those
in domestic cats. A
report on FSE (in german) has been presented in 2001 in the Swiss FVO
Magazin. A paper on the first FSE case in a domestic cat in Switzerland
is currently in press in the Journal Schweizer Archiv für Tierheilkunde
(SAT).

http://www.neurocenter-bern.ch/tse_e.shtml

Subject: DEER SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHY SURVEY & HOUND STUDY
Date: Thu, 17 Oct 2002 17:04:51 -0700
From: "Terry S. Singeltary Sr."
Reply-To: Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
To: BSE-L

Greetings BSE-L,

is there any other CWD surveys/testing in the UK on their deer?
what sort of testing has been done to date on UK/EU deer?
any input would be helpful... thank you

DEER SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHY SURVEY

http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1991/11/20004001.pdf

http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1992/11/04002001.pdf

hope they did not go by the wayside as the hound study;

http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1991/10/18001001.pdf

http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1993/12/06001001.pdf

37.Putative TSE in hounds - work started 1990 -(see para 41)

Robert Higgins, a Veterinary Investigation Officer at Thirsk,
had been working on a hound survey in 1990. Gerald Wells
and I myself received histological sections from this survey
along with the accompanying letter (YB90/11.28/1.1) dated
November 1990. This letter details spongiform changes found
in brains from hunt hounds failing to keep up with the rest of
the pack, along with the results of SAF extractions from
fresh brain material from these same animals. SAFs were not
found in brains unless spongiform changes were also present.
The spongiform changes were not pathognomonic (ie.
conclusive proof) for prion disease, as they were atypical,
being largely present in white matter rather than grey matter in
the brain and spinal cord. However, Tony Scott, then head of
electron microscopy work on TSEs, had no doubt that these
SAFs were genuine and that these hounds therefore must have
had a scrapie-like disease. I reviewed all the sections
myself (original notes appended) and although the pathology
was not typical, I could not exclude the possibility that this was
a scrapie-like disorder, as white matter vacuolation is seen
in TSEs and Wallerian degeneration was also present in the
white matter of the hounds, another feature of scrapie.

38.I reviewed the literature on hound neuropathology, and
discovered that micrographs and descriptive neuropathology from
papers on 'hound ataxia' mirrored those in material from
Robert Higgins' hound survey. Dr Tony Palmer (Cambridge) had
done much of this work, and I obtained original sections
from hound ataxia cases from him. This enabled me provisionally to
conclude that Robert Higgins had in all probability detected
hound ataxia, but also that hound ataxia itself was possibly a
TSE. Gerald Wells confirmed in 'blind' examination of single
restricted microscopic fields that there was no distinction
between the white matter vacuolation present in BSE and
scrapie cases, and that occurring in hound ataxia and the hound
survey cases.

39.Hound ataxia had reportedly been occurring since the 1930's,
and a known risk factor for its development was the feeding
to hounds of downer cows, and particularly bovine offal.
Circumstantial evidence suggests that bovine offal may also be
causal in FSE, and TME in mink. Despite the inconclusive
nature of the neuropathology, it was clearly evident that this
putative canine spongiform encephalopathy merited further
investigation.

40.The inconclusive results in hounds were never confirmed,
nor was the link with hound ataxia pursued. I telephoned Robert
Higgins six years after he first sent the slides to CVL.
I was informed that despite his submitting a yearly report to the
CVO including the suggestion that the hound work be continued,
no further work had been done since 1991. This was
surprising, to say the very least.

41.The hound work could have provided valuable evidence
that a scrapie-like agent may have been present in cattle offal long
before the BSE epidemic was recognised. The MAFF hound
survey remains unpublished.

Histopathological support to various other published
MAFF experiments

42.These included neuropathological examination of material
from experiments studying the attempted transmission of BSE to
chickens and pigs (CVL 1991) and to mice (RVC 1994).

http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/witness/htm/stat067.htm

nothing to offer scientifically;

http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1991/10/17001001.pdf

maddogs and Englishman

http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1990/11/28001001.pdf

kind regards,
terry

###########bse-l ############

Subject: Re: DEER SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHY SURVEY & HOUND STUDY
Date: Fri, 18 Oct 2002 23:12:22 +0100
From: Steve Dealler
Reply-To: Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
Organization: Netscape Online member
To: [email protected]
References: <[email protected]>

Dear Terry,
An excellent piece of review as this literature is desparately difficult 
to get
back from Government sites.

What happened with the deer was that an association between deer meat 
eating and
sporadic CJD was found in about 1993. The evidence was not great but did not
disappear after several years of asking CJD cases what they had eaten.
I think that the work into deer disease largely stopped because it was 
not helpful
to the UK industry...and no specific cases were reported.
Well, if you dont look adequately like they are in USA currenly then you 
wont find
any!

Steve Dealler
===============

Incubation periods for BSE are proportional to the life expectancy of
the animal affected. The disease's incubation period is 18% of a cow's
life expectancy and would be expected to about double when crossing to
another species [---] that is, to 36% of 70 years in humans.

Steve Dealler, consultant in medical microbiology.
Burnley General Hospital, Burnley BB10 2PQ [email protected]

TSS


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