[Mb-civic] CBC News - U.S. DENIES HAVING 2 BSE CASES IN 1997

Thu Apr 14 05:40:45 PDT 2005

This email has been sent to you by harry.sifton at sympatico.ca
The following is a news item posted on CBC NEWS ONLINE
at http://www.cbc.ca/news
____________________________________________________
U.S. DENIES HAVING 2 BSE CASES IN 1997
WebPosted Wed Apr 13 20:53:29 2005

WASHINGTON---The U.S. Department of Agriculture admits there were
problems with the samples taken from two cows in 1997, but insists the
animals did not have bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), also known
as mad cow disease.

When asked about a CBC News report showing the samples used for
testing did not contain key parts of the animals' brains needed to
make an accurate diagnosis, USDA spokesperson Ron Dehaven said, "We
had two choices: run the tests with the samples that we had, or not
run them at all.

"If we had something to hide, we could make an argument for not running
the samples at all. In this case, we chose to run the samples with the
tissues that we had and subject them to three different tests to
compensate for the fact that we may not have the perfect tissues."

For years Canadian cattle producers have been suspicious about U.S.
claims that it has only found one cow that has been affected with BSE.
That cow, which originated in Canada, was diagnosed with BSE in December
2003 in Washington state.

So far, four Canadian-born animals have tested positive even though for
decades animals have been shipped back and forth across the border.

CBC News has uncovered U.S. Department of Agriculture video showing
what USDA veterinarians feared might be two cases of mad cow disease
in the U.S.

 FROM APRIL 12, 2005: Concerns raised about 1997 U.S. mad cow tests

The official tests were negative. But CBC news uncovered documents
showing key areas of the cow's brain, in both cases, were never tested.

Retired USDA scientist Dr. Karl Langheinrich says without those tests,
American authorities will never be able to rule out mad cow disease. "It
means you cannot make a diagnosis, a specific diagnosis," he said.

Rob McNabb of the Canadian Cattlemen's Association says his organization
wants the USDA to investigate.

"What we would fully expect is that the USDA address the
allegations," he said.

And NDP international trade critic Peter Julian says Canada should
consider retaliating.

"I think we need to close the border immediately to beef imports," he
said.

One of the USDA's top officials told CBC News that the U.S. testing
program was never designed to catch every single case of mad cow disease.
It was simply meant to measure how much disease there is.

After testing thousands of animals the USDA believes if BSE exists, it's
at a very low level.

Next year, the U.S. plans a major reduction in its BSE testing program,
from a high of 300,000 animals to just 40,000.