OT: BSE (aka Mad Cow Disease) in the US

[Renegade 13]

Seeing as how I live in Canada, and am the son of a cattle rancher, I'm wondering what the rest of the world (or at least you guys) think about the BSE case in Canada. Is anybody really worried about mad cow disease? Has anybody even heard of it? Does anyone actually know the problems it is causing to one of Canada's largest industries???

Anyways, I'd like to know what people think about this situation, rather than hearing the slanted views of the media.

Renegade

[ December 24, 2003, 17:13: Message edited by: Renegade 13 ]

[DavidG]

Well as a Canadian yea I know. (see my sig, inspire my Grandpa Kims sig) And if friggen pisses me off!! I will think twice before I buy anything made in Japan since they appear to be the reason why exports to the US are still Banned.

[Arkcon]

*SIGH* I don't eat the brains. I cook my beef before eating. I don't believe disease jumps the species barrier that easy. The limited incidence suggests a more complete study of the epidimiology is needed.

OK, so people can come up with a lot of objections to my reasons. But frankly, I don't think there's a lot of good science behind the connection between BSE and variant CJD.

It's right up there with EMF health risks.

[Jack Simth]

Last I heard, the current working hypothesis on what exactly causes BSE (several months ago, at least; some of this could be off):

A single protien, a warped form of one occuring naturally in most mammals. Specifically, the protien is warped in such a way that when it encounters the normal Version, it warps the normal Version into the warped Version. Unfortunately, the normal protien is necessary for nerve function, and the warped Version doesn't do that function. As a single protien, we don't know of any method to destroy them all. Heat will destroy some, but not all, of them. Chemicals will destroy some, but not all, of them. Radiation will destroy some, but not all, of them. Unfortunately, one is all it takes. Cooking infected meat won't help much.

[Baron Munchausen]

Yep, BSE is caused by a prion. It developed from scrapie, a similar disease in sheep, because of the practice of feeding the rendered leftovers of slaughter to other livestock. Admittedly it took a while, so prion diseases are not easily transmissible from one species to another, but it does occur. Similarly, the largest spike in 'variant CJD' in the world is currently occuring in Britain where they had this huge problem with BSE. It's small by epidemic standards (a few hundred cases) but quite signifigant in proportional terms. This is the reason for the strict standards in US livestock industry forbidding feeding the remains of animals to other animals.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

well, it seems simple to me. cows are herbivores. herbivores eat plants. so, don't feed meat to herbivores.