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manny15
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By DAVID STOUT
Published: December 23, 2003
WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 - The federal government said this evening that the first suspected case of so-called mad cow disease had been discovered in the United States.
Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman said a single diseased Holstein cow was traced to a farm in Washington State about 40 miles southeast of Yakima. Earlier this year, Canada recorded its first case, in the western province of Alberta.
Ms. Veneman said that a single outbreak of the brain-wasting disease would represent almost no risk to people, but that it was announced out of ''an abundance of caution.'' People have died of the disease in Europe and Asia.
''
We remain confident in the safety of our food supply,'' Ms. Veneman said. She emphasized that unlike foot-and-mouth disease, the mad cow affliction is not spread easily.
Ms. Veneman said Agriculture Department investigators were confident that no meat from the sick animal had entered the food supply, but that they were working with food processors in Washington State to be absolutely certain.
The sick cow was detected as part of the department's continuing surveillance program, she said. A sample taken on Dec. 9 was tested twice and came back as a ''presumptive positive,'' she said. A final test will be done at a laboratory in Britain, where the disease first sprang up, but Ms. Veneman said United States scientists are confident of their findings of mad cow disease.
Mad cow disease, known also as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, is a brain-wasting sickness that first occurred in Britain in the mid-1980's. It spread to Europe and Asia, causing huge losses in the beef industry and some loss of human life, although statistically the chances of a person dying are small.
But the outbreaks in other countries were calamitous to their beef industries, and Ms. Veneman tried to avert a similar reaction in the United States, particularly as millions of people prepare for Christmas dinner that often includes, on many tables, a standing rib roast.
''
I plan to serve beef for my Christmas dinner,'' she said.
Ms. Veneman said that the Agriculture Department had safeguards in place since 1990 to check for mad cow disease and that 20,526 cows had been tested in 2003 in the United States. As for the Washington discovery, she said, ''This is a clear indication that our surveillance and detection program is working.''
On May 20, the corpse of an 8-year-old cow in Alberta was found with mad cow disease. Importation of Canadian beef, which accounts for 8 to 10 percent of American consumption, was stopped, sending American prices up for a time.
Ms. Veneman said further information would be posted on her agency's Web site: www.usda.gov.
Published: December 23, 2003
WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 - The federal government said this evening that the first suspected case of so-called mad cow disease had been discovered in the United States.
Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman said a single diseased Holstein cow was traced to a farm in Washington State about 40 miles southeast of Yakima. Earlier this year, Canada recorded its first case, in the western province of Alberta.
Ms. Veneman said that a single outbreak of the brain-wasting disease would represent almost no risk to people, but that it was announced out of ''an abundance of caution.'' People have died of the disease in Europe and Asia.
''
We remain confident in the safety of our food supply,'' Ms. Veneman said. She emphasized that unlike foot-and-mouth disease, the mad cow affliction is not spread easily.
Ms. Veneman said Agriculture Department investigators were confident that no meat from the sick animal had entered the food supply, but that they were working with food processors in Washington State to be absolutely certain.
The sick cow was detected as part of the department's continuing surveillance program, she said. A sample taken on Dec. 9 was tested twice and came back as a ''presumptive positive,'' she said. A final test will be done at a laboratory in Britain, where the disease first sprang up, but Ms. Veneman said United States scientists are confident of their findings of mad cow disease.
Mad cow disease, known also as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, is a brain-wasting sickness that first occurred in Britain in the mid-1980's. It spread to Europe and Asia, causing huge losses in the beef industry and some loss of human life, although statistically the chances of a person dying are small.
But the outbreaks in other countries were calamitous to their beef industries, and Ms. Veneman tried to avert a similar reaction in the United States, particularly as millions of people prepare for Christmas dinner that often includes, on many tables, a standing rib roast.
''
I plan to serve beef for my Christmas dinner,'' she said.
Ms. Veneman said that the Agriculture Department had safeguards in place since 1990 to check for mad cow disease and that 20,526 cows had been tested in 2003 in the United States. As for the Washington discovery, she said, ''This is a clear indication that our surveillance and detection program is working.''
On May 20, the corpse of an 8-year-old cow in Alberta was found with mad cow disease. Importation of Canadian beef, which accounts for 8 to 10 percent of American consumption, was stopped, sending American prices up for a time.
Ms. Veneman said further information would be posted on her agency's Web site: www.usda.gov.
