# Prion Disease Found Lurking In Deer Muscle



## FREEPOP

Don't forget bird flu


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## terry

MAD COW i.e. all TSE 'FRIENDLY FIRE' GETTING SERIOUS (iCJD) 

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

CJD WATCH MESSAGE BOARD 
TSS 
Detection and Localization of PrPSc in the Skeletal Muscle 
Thu Mar 2, 2006 10:40 
70.110.86.250 


© 2006 American Society for Investigative Pathology 

Detection and Localization of PrPSc in the Skeletal Muscle of Patients with Variant, Iatrogenic, and Sporadic Forms of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease 
Alexander H. Peden, Diane L. Ritchie, Mark W. Head and James W. Ironside 
From the National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Surveillance Unit and Division of Pathology, School of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, United Kingdom 


Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) differs from other human prion diseases in that the pathogenic prion protein PrPSc can be detected to a greater extent at extraneuronal sites throughout the body, principally within lymphoid tissues. However, a recent study using a high-sensitivity Western blotting technique revealed low levels of PrPSc in skeletal muscle from a quarter of Swiss patients with sporadic CJD (sCJD). This posed the question of whether PrPSc in muscle could also be detected in vCJD, sCJD, and iatrogenic (iCJD) patients from other populations. Therefore, we have used the same high-sensitivity Western blotting technique, in combination with paraffin-embedded tissue blotting, to screen for PrPSc in muscle tissue specimens taken at autopsy from 49 CJD patients in the United Kingdom. These techniques identified muscle PrPSc in 8 of 17 vCJD, 7 of 26 sCJD, and 2 of 5 iCJD patients. Paraffin-embedded tissue blotting analysis showed PrPSc in skeletal muscle in localized anatomical structures that had the morphological and immunohistochemical characteristics of nerve fibers. The detection of PrPSc in muscle tissue from all forms of CJD indicates the possible presence of infectivity in these tissues, suggesting important implications for assessing the potential risk of iatrogenic spread via contaminated surgical instruments. 



http://ajp.amjpathol.org/cgi/content/abstract/168/3/927 




TSS 

#################### https://lists.aegee.org/bse-l.html #################### 



BSE ALSO; 


PrPSc distribution of a natural case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy 


Yoshifumi Iwamaru, Yuka Okubo, Tamako Ikeda, Hiroko Hayashi, Mori- kazu Imamura, Takashi Yokoyama and Morikazu Shinagawa Priori Disease Research Center, National Institute of Animal Health, 3-1-5 Kannondai, Tsukuba 305-0856 Japan [email protected] 


Abstract 


Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is a disease of cattle that causes progressive neurodegeneration of the central nervous system. Infectivity of BSE agent is accompanied with an abnormal isoform of prion protein (PrPSc). The specified risk materials (SRM) are tissues potentially carrying BSE infectivity. The following tissues are designated as SRM in Japan: the skull including the brain and eyes but excluding the glossa and the masse- ter muscle, the vertebral column excluding the vertebrae of the tail, spinal cord, distal illeum. For a risk management step, the use of SRM in both animal feed or human food has been prohibited. However, detailed PrPSc distribution remains obscure in BSE cattle and it has caused controversies 
about definitions of SRM. Therefore we have examined PrPSc distribution in a BSE cattle by Western blotting to reassess definitions of SRM. The 11th BSE case in Japan was detected in fallen stock surveillance. The carcass was stocked in the refrigerator. For the detection of PrPSc, 200 mg of tissue samples were homogenized. Following collagenase treatment, samples were digested with proteinase K. After digestion, PrPSc was precipitated by sodium phosphotungstate (PTA). The pellets were subjected to Western blotting using the standard procedure. Anti-prion protein monoclonal antibody (mAb) T2 conjugated horseradish peroxidase was used for the detection of PrPSc. PrPSc was detected in brain, spinal cord, dorsal root ganglia, trigeminal ganglia, sublingual ganglion, retina. In addition, PrPSc was also detected in the peripheral nerves (sciatic nerve, tibial nerve, vagus nerve). Our results suggest that the currently accepted definitions of SRM in 9/13/2005 


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Page 10 of 17 



BSE cattle may need to be reexamined. 


T. Kitamoto (Ed.) 
PRIONS 
Food and Drug Safety 

================ 

ALSO from the International Symposium of Prion Diseases held in Sendai, October 31, to November 2, 2004; Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in Japan 

snip... 


"Furthermore, current studies into transmission of cases of BSE that are atypical or that develop in young cattle are expected to amplify the BSE prion" NO. Date conf. Farm Birth place and Date Age at diagnosis 8. 2003.10.6. Fukushima Tochigi 2001.10.13. 23 9. 2003.11.4. Hiroshima Hyogo 2002.1.13. 21 Test results # 8b, 9c cows Elisa Positive, WB Positive, IHC negative, histopathology negative b = atypical BSE case c = case of BSE in a young animal b,c, No PrPSc on IHC, and no spongiform change on histology International Symposium of Prion Diseases held in Sendai, October 31, to November 2, 2004. Tetsuyuki Kitamoto Professor and Chairman Department of Prion Research Tohoku University School of Medicine 2-1 SeiryoAoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, JAPAN TEL +81-22-717-8147 FAX +81-22-717-8148 e-mail; [email protected] Symposium Secretariat Kyomi Sasaki TEL +81-22-717-8233 FAX +81-22-717-7656 e-mail: [email protected] ================================= 9/13/2005 
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Page 11 of 17 From: TSS () Subject: Atypical Proteinase K-Resistant Prion Protein (PrPres) observed in an Apparently Healthy 23-Month-Old Holstein Steer Date: August 26, 2005 at 10:24 am PST Atypical Proteinase K-Resistant Prion Protein (PrPres) observed in an Apparently Healthy 23-Month-Old Holstein Steer Jpn. J. Infect. Dis., 56, 221-222, 2003 Laboratory and Epidemiology Communications Atypical Proteinase K-Resistant Prion Protein (PrPres) Observed in an Apparently Healthy 23-Month-Old Holstein Steer Yoshio Yamakawa*, KenÕichi Hagiwara, Kyoko Nohtomi, Yuko Nakamura, Masahiro Nishizima ,Yoshimi Higuchi1, Yuko Sato1, Tetsutaro Sata1 and the Expert Committee for BSE Diagnosis, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan2 Department of Biochemistry & Cell Biology and 1Department of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo 162-8640 and 2Miistry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Tokyo 100-8916 Communicated by Tetsutaro Sata (Accepted December 2, 2003) *Corresponding author: Mailing address: Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Toyama 1-23-1, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 1628640, 
Japan. Tel: +81-3-5285-1111, Fax: +81-3-5285-1157, E-mail: [email protected] 


Since October 18, 2001, 'bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) examination for all cattle slaughtered at abattoirs in the country' has been mandated in Japan by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW). 'Plateria' ELISA-kit (Bio-Rad Laboratories, Hercules, Calif., USA) is routinely used at abattoirs for detecting proteinase K (PK)-resistant prion protein (PrPSc) in the obex region. Samples positive according to the ELISA screening are further subjected to Western blot (WB) and histologic and immunohistochemical examination (IHC) at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID) or Obihiro University. If PrPSc is detected either by WB or by IHC, the cattle are diagnosed as BSE. The diagnosis is approved by the Expert Committee for BSE Diagnosis, MHLW. From October 18, 2001 to September 30, 2003, approximately 2.5 million cattle were screened at abattoirs. A hundred and ten specimens positive according to ELISA were subjected to WB/IHC. Seven showed positive by both WB and IHC, all exhibiting the typical electrophoretic profile of a high content of the di-glycosylated molecular form of PrPSc (1-3) and the distinctive granular deposition of PrPSc in neuronal cells and neuropil of the dorsal nucleus of vagus. An ELISA-positive specimen from a 23 month-old Holstein steer slaughtered on September 29, 2003, in Ibaraki Prefecture (Ibaraki case) was sent to the NIID for confirmation. The animal was reportedly healthy before slaughter. The OD titer in ELISA was slightly higher than the 'cut-off' level given by the manufacturer. The histology showed no spongiform changes and IHC revealed no signal of PrPSc accumulation typical for BSE. However, WB analysis of the homogenate that was prepared from the obex region and used for ELISA revealed a small amount of PrPSc with an electrophoretic profile different from that of typical BSE-associated PrPSc (1-3). The characteristics were (i) low content of the di-glycosylated molecular form of PrPSc, (ii) a faster migration of the non-glycosylated form of PrPSc on SDS-PAGE, and (iii) less resistance against PK digestion as compared with an authentic PrPSc specimen derived from an 83-month-old Holstein (Wakayama case) (Fig. 1). Table 1 summarizes the relative amounts of three distinctive glycoforms (di-, mono, non-glycosylated) of PrPSc calculated by densitometric analysis of the blot shown in Fig. 1. As 2.5 mg wet weight obex-equivalent homogenate of the Ibaraki case (Fig. 1, lane 4) gave slightly stronger band intensities of PrPSc than an 8 mg wet weight obex-equivqlent homogenate of a typical BSE-affected Wakayama case (Fig. 1, lane 2), the amount of PrPSc accumulated in the Ibaraki case was calculated to be 1/500 - 1/1000 of the Wakayama case. In the Ibaraki case, the PrPSc bands were not detectable in the homogenates of the proximal surrounding region of the obex. These findings were consistent with the low OD value in ELISA, i.e., 0.2 -0.3 for the Ibaraki case versus over 3.0 for the Wakayama case. The DNA sequence of the PrP coding region of the Ibaraki case was the same as that appearing in the database (GenBank accession number: AJ298878). More recently, we encountered another case that resembled the Ibaraki case. It was a 21-monthold 
Holstein steer from Hiroshima Prefecture. WB showed typical BSE-specific PrPSc deposition though IHC did not detect positive signals of PrPSc (data not shown). Though the clinical onset of BSE is usually at around 5 years of age or later, a 20-month-old case showing the clinical signs has been reported (4). Variant forms of BSE similar to our cases, i.e., with atypical histopathological and/or biochemical phenotype, have been recently reported in Italy (5) and in France (6). Such variant BSE was not associated with mutations in the prion protein (PrP) coding region as in our case (5,6). The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF) announced a ban of feeding ruminants with meat bone meal (MBM) on September 18, 2001, and a complete ban was made on October 15 of the same year. According to the recent MAFF report, the previous seven cases of BSE in Japan were cattle born in 1995 - 1996 and possibly fed with cross-contaminated feed. However, the two cattle in this report were born after the complete ban. Whether contaminated MBM was implicated in the present cases remains to be investigated. 



REFERENCES Collinge, J., Sidle, K. C. L., Meads, J., Ironside, J. and Hill, A. F. (1996): Molecular analysis of prion strain variation and the aetiology of 'new variant' CJD. Nature, 383, 685690. 
Bruce, M. E., Will, R. G., Ironside, J. W., McConnell, I., Drummond, D., Suttie, A., McCardle, L., Chree, A., Hope, J., Birkett, C., Cousens, S., Fraser, H. and Bostock, C. J. 
(1997): Transmissions to mice indicate that 'new variant' CJD is caused by the BSE agent. Nature, 389, 498-501. 
Hill, A. F., Desbruslais, M., Joiner, S., Sidle, K. C. L., Gowland, I. and Collinge, J. (1997): The same prion strain causes vCJD and BSE. Nature, 389, 448-450. 
Matravers, W., Bridgeman, J. and Smith, M.-F. (ed.)(2000): The BSE Inquiry. p. 37. vol. 16. The Stationery Office Ltd., Norwich, UK. 
Casalone, C., Zanusso, G., Acutis, P. L., Crescio, M. I., Corona, C., Ferrari, S., Capobianco, R., Tagliavini, F., Monaco, S. and Caramelli, M. (2003): Identification of a novel 
molecular and neuropathological BSE phenotype in Italy. International Conference on Prion Disease: from basic research to intervention concepts. Gasreig, Munhen, 
October 8-10. 
Bicaba, A. G., Laplanche, J. L., Ryder, S. and Baron, T. (2003): A molecular variant of bovine spongiform encephalopatie. International Conference on Prion Disease: from 
basic research to intervention concepts. Gasreig, Munhen, October 8-10. 
Asante, E. A., Linehan, J. M., Desbruslais, M., Joiner, S., Gowland, I., Wood, A. L., Welch, J., Hill, A. F., Lloyd, S. E., Wadsworth, J. D. F. and Collinge, J. (2002). BSE 
prions propagate as either variant CJD-like or sporadic CJD-like prion strains in transgenic mice expressing human prion protein. EMBO J., 21, 6358-6366. 
9/13/2005 
Page 12 of 17 SEE SLIDES IN PDF FILE; http://www.nih.go.jp/JJID/56/221.pdf 


http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/Comments/03-025IFA/03-025IFA-2.pdf 



AND CWD; 


Prions in Skeletal Muscles of Deer with Chronic Wasting Disease Rachel C. Angers,1* Shawn R. Browning,1* Tanya S. Seward,2 Christina J. Sigurdson,4 Michael W. Miller,5 Edward A. Hoover,4 Glenn C. Telling1,2,3§ 1Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, 2Sanders Brown Center on Aging, 3Department of Neurology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA. 4Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA. 5Colorado Division of Wildlife, Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, CO 80526, USA. *These authors contributed equally to this work. Present address: Department of Infectology, Scripps Research Institute, 5353 Parkside Drive, RF-2, Jupiter, Florida, 33458, USA. Present address: Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Schmelzbergstrasse 12, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland. §To whom correspondence should be addressed: E-mail: [email protected] Prions are transmissible proteinaceous agents of mammals that cause fatal neurodegenerative diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). The presence of infectivity in skeletal muscle of experimentally infected mice raised the possibility that dietary exposure to prions might occur through meat consumption (1). Chronic wasting disease (CWD), an enigmatic and contagious prion disease of North American cervids, is of particular concern. The emergence of CWD in an increasingly wide geographic area and the interspecies transmission of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) to humans as variant Creutzfeldt Jakob disease (vCJD) have raised concerns about zoonotic transmission of CWD. To test whether skeletal muscle of diseased cervids.........SNIP....END 



TSS :yikes:


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## sadocf1

Hunters from other states flock to western states and provinces to hunt deer and elk. Some hunt in areas known to be infected w/CWD, SHOOT A DEER OR ELK, HAVE IT PROCESSED (A SAMPLE IS TAKEN AND SENT TO A LAB FOR CWD TEST) AND TRANSPORT BONED MEAT ACROSS STATE LINES BACK TO THEIR HOME STATE BEFORE THE SAMPLE IS TESTED DUE TO BACKLOG. Could be a month later the hunter is notified that the sample was positive for CWD. Can this be in violation of the Lacey Act ?? How about the federal meat inspection regulations ?? In Michigan there have been a number of cases where CWD infected deer or elk (parts thereof) brought home by hunters from CWD infected areas in COLORADO. COLORADO DOES NOT NOTIFY OUR DNR, THE HUNTER IS SUPPOSED TO. It is illegal to bring in a live deer or elk from out of state, w/the exception of Santa and his reindeer on Christmas Eve.


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## terry

> How about the federal meat inspection regulations ?? 

:lol: :lol: :lol: 


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


Subject: USDA FSIS QUARTERLY ENFORCEMENT REPORT (BSE) July 1, 2005 through September 30, 2005 
Date: March 20, 2006 at 12:58 pm PST



UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE QUARTERLY ENFORCEMENT REPORT July 1, 2005 through September 30, 2005 


snip...



Administrative Actions Pending or Taken at Small HACCP Plants [includes actions initiated in prior quarters] 




snip...



DESERET MEAT 04852 M SPANISH FORK, UT 
07/27/05 
08/01/05 
X 
X 
On 7/27/05, a suspension action concerning Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy and Specified Risk Material was taken in accordance with 9 CFR Part 500.3. 




snip...



Administrative Actions Pending or Taken at Small HACCP Plants [includes actions initiated in prior quarters] 




snip...



MONTEBELLO MEAT PROCESSING, INC 19075 M19075 P MANATI, PR 
08/01/05 
08/18/05 
X 
X 
X 
09/26/05 
On 8/1/05, an enforcement action concerning Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy and Specified Risk Material was taken in accordance with 9 CFR Part 500.4. 




snip...

Table 7. Administrative Actions: Very Small HACCP Plants (7/01/05 to 9/30/05) 


snip...


A.J. CEKAK'S MEAT MARKET 09/01/05 09/20/05 On 9/1/05, an enforcement action

21562 M

concerning failure to meet regulatory ORD, NE requirements for Escherichia coli X X X Biotype 1 (E. coli) and Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy/Specified Risk Material was taken in accordance with 9 CFR Part 500.4.


snip...



Administrative Actions Pending or Taken at Very Small HACCP Plants [includes actions initiated in prior quarters] 




snip...



BROWN'S PROCESSING 13100 M13100 P ELSBERRY, MO 
08/08/05 
08/16/05 
X 
X 
X 
On 8/8/05, an enforcement action concerning Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy and Specified Risk Material was taken in accordance with 9 CFR Part 500.4. 




snip...



Administrative Actions Pending or Taken at Very Small HACCP Plants [includes actions initiated in prior quarters] 




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FIVE STAR PACK INC. 08725 M08725 P GOLDEN CITY, MO 09/01/05 09/09/05 X X On 9/1/05, an enforcement action concerning failure to meet regulatory requirements for Escherichia coli Biotype 1 (E. coli) and Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy/Specified Risk Material was taken in accordance with 9 CFR Part 500.4.


snip...



Administrative Actions Pending or Taken at Very Small HACCP Plants [includes actions initiated in prior quarters] 





snip...


H AND P MEATS 21352 M SOUTH PITTSBURG, TN 07/28/05 08/08/05 08/17/05 08/19/05 X X On 8/17/05, a suspension action concerning Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy and Specified Risk Material was taken in accordance with 9 CFR Part 500.3.


snip...



HOPKINS PACKING COMPANY 11069 M BLACKFOOT, ID 
07/28/05 
08/01/05 
X 
X 
On 7/28/05, a suspension action concerning Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy and Specified Risk Material was taken in accordance with 9 CFR Part 500.3. 




snip...



Administrative Actions Pending or Taken at Very Small HACCP Plants [includes actions initiated in prior quarters] 





snip...


NORTHWEST PREMIUM MEATS LLC 11032 M11032 P NAMPA, ID 07/26/05 07/29/05 X X On 7/26/05, a suspension action concerning Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy and Specified Risk Material was taken in accordance with 9 CFR Part 500.3.


snip...



PARADISE LOCKER MEATS 31865 M31865 P TRIMBLE, MO 
09/21/05 
X 
X 
On 9/21/05, an enforcement action concerning Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy and Specified Risk Material was taken in accordance with 9 CFR Part 500.4. 

PARAGON SPRAY DRYING, LLC 31792 M31792 P WAUKON, IA 
09/06/05 
09/12/05 
X 
X 
X 
On 9/6/05, an enforcement action concerning Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy and Specified Risk Material was taken in accordance with 9 CFR Part 500.4. 




snip...



Administrative Actions Pending or Taken at Very Small HACCP Plants [includes actions initiated in prior quarters] 




snip...



RANDALL MEAT COMPANY 10669 M HOT SPRINGS, AR 
07/01/05 
07/28/05 
X 
X 
X 
On 7/1/05, an enforcement action concerning Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy and Specified Risk Material was taken in accordance with 9 CFR Part 500.4. 




snip...


Administrative Actions Pending or Taken at Very Small HACCP Plants [includes actions initiated in prior quarters] 


snip...


08/04/05 

08/19/05 

On 8/4/05, 

an enforcement action 01046 M01046 P concerning Bovine SpongiformKANSAS CITY, MO X X Encephalopathy and Specified Risk Material was taken in accordance with 9 CFR Part 500.4. 


Administrative Actions Pending or Taken at Very Small HACCP Plants [includes actions initiated in prior quarters] 


snip...


THE MEAT SHOP 08/18/05 09/06/05 

09/09/05 

On 9/6/05, a suspension action 31561 M concerning Bovine SpongiformBENSON, VT Encephalopathy and Specified Risk Material was taken in accordance with 9 CFR Part 500.3. XX X X X 


THEURER'S QUALITY MEATS, 07/27/05 07/29/05 

On 7/27/05, a suspension action INC concerning Bovine Spongiform31647 M31647 P Encephalopathy and Specified Risk X X

LEWISTON, UT Material was taken in accordance with 9 CFR Part 500.3. 


TOOELE VALLEY MEATS 07/25/05 08/01/05 

On 7/25/05, a suspension action 20594 M20594 Pconcerning Bovine Spongiform

GRANTSVILLE, UT X X Encephalopathy and Specified Risk Material was taken in accordance with 9 CFR Part 500.3.


snip...


52 pages 




http://www.fsis.usda.gov/PDF/QER_Q4_FY2005.pdf




TSS

#################### https://lists.aegee.org/bse-l.html ####################




snip...



Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE, or

Mad Cow Disease): Current and Proposed

Safeguards

Updated October 13, 2005

Geoffrey S. Becker

Specialist in Agricultural Policy

Resources, Science and Industry Division

Sarah A. Lister

Specialist in Public Health and Epidemiology

Domestic Social Policy Division


SNIP...



In August 2003, the United States had announced that it, Canada, and Mexico

were entering into discussions at the OIE to develop new guidance for resuming trade

with countries that have reported BSE, under certain conditions. The basis for the

proposal, according to U.S. officials, was that conditions for trade should be based

not simply on the number of mad cow cases a country has reported. Rather, trade

conditions should better reflect the adequacy of a countrys safeguards in addressing

whatever level of risk is found through a scientifically valid risk assessment. In other

words, countries with strong safeguards should not be penalized because rigorous

testing has found an acceptably low number of BSE cases, whereas another exporting

with inadequate protections may simply not be testing for and/or reporting the

disease. On May 26, 2005, the OIE agreed to new BSE trade guidelines. Included

is a simplified hierarchy of risk:

! Category 1 countries are those with negligible risk, and thus subject

to the least restrictive conditions for exporting ruminants and

ruminant products;

! Category 2 are those countries with controlled risk; and

! Category 3 are those where the risks are unknown.

In another guideline change, OIE decided that trade in boneless muscle beef

from cattle under 30 months of age should be considered to be safe, regardless of

their exporting countrys BSE risk profile, so long as that country has appropriate

controls in place. For example, one control would be an acceptable method for

determining these animals ages and for segregating them from older animals.

The United States and Canada most likely fall within category 2, several

analysts have observed. Again, as under the prior OIE guidelines for BSE, the newly

modified guidelines leave it up to the exporting countries to convince importing

country authorities that their beef and cattle are safe. The importing country, in turn,

might or might not accept these demonstrations of safety  and might not

necessarily agree to observe the OIE guidelines.






http://www.ncseonline.org/NLE/CRSreports/05oct/RL32199.pdf





BSE GBR ASSESSMENTS


http://www.efsa.eu.int/science/tse_assessments/gbr_assessments/catindex_en.html





EFSA Scientific Report on the Assessment of the Geographical BSE-Risk (GBR) of the United States of America (USA) 
Last updated: 19 July 2005 
Adopted July 2004 (Question N° EFSA-Q-2003-083)

Report 
Summary 
Summary of the Scientific Report 

The European Food Safety Authority and its Scientific Expert Working Group on the Assessment of the Geographical Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) Risk (GBR) were asked by the European Commission (EC) to provide an up-to-date scientific report on the GBR in the United States of America, i.e. the likelihood of the presence of one or more cattle being infected with BSE, pre-clinically as well as clinically, in USA. This scientific report addresses the GBR of USA as assessed in 2004 based on data covering the period 1980-2003. 

The BSE agent was probably imported into USA and could have reached domestic cattle in the middle of the eighties. These cattle imported in the mid eighties could have been rendered in the late eighties and therefore led to an internal challenge in the early nineties. It is possible that imported meat and bone meal (MBM) into the USA reached domestic cattle and leads to an internal challenge in the early nineties. 

A processing risk developed in the late 80s/early 90s when cattle imports from BSE risk countries were slaughtered or died and were processed (partly) into feed, together with some imports of MBM. This risk continued to exist, and grew significantly in the mid 90s when domestic cattle, infected by imported MBM, reached processing. Given the low stability of the system, the risk increased over the years with continued imports of cattle and MBM from BSE risk countries. 

EFSA concludes that the current GBR level of USA is III, i.e. it is likely but not confirmed that domestic cattle are (clinically or pre-clinically) infected with the BSE-agent. As long as there are no significant changes in rendering or feeding, the stability remains extremely/very unstable. Thus, the probability of cattle to be (pre-clinically or clinically) infected with the BSE-agent persistently increases. 






Publication date: 20 August 2004 




http://www.efsa.eu.int/science/tse_assessments/gbr_assessments/573_it.html




http://www.efsa.eu.int/science/tse_.../573/sr03_biohaz02_usa_report_summary_en1.pdf




http://www.efsa.eu.int/science/tse_...ments/573/sr03_biohaz02_usa_report_v2_en1.pdf




suppressed peer review of Harvard study October 31, 2002 



http://www.fsis.usda.gov/oa/topics/BSE_Peer_Review.pdf 



:help: TSS


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## StumpJumper

I bet we are all loaded with prions just waiting to hatch.


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