BSE investigation ends

I'll post the USDA briefing when the transcript comes out.  The investigation 
is done.  Let's see how far the industry wiggles out from under the December 
USDA mandates.  

-x



2/9/2004  
USDA Investigation Into Cow With BSE Has Ended


>From Pro Farmer

Roger Bernard

USDA has ended its epidemiological investigation in the discovery of a single 
Holstein cow in Washington state with BSE, Chief Veterinarian Ron DeHaven 
announced today.

The investigation and DNA evidence did prove that the BSE-positive cow was 
born on a dairy farm in Alberta, Canada, on April 9, 1997, and moved into the 
United States along with 80 other cattle from that herd.

The investigation led to 189 locations in the U.S. in three states, DeHaven 
detailed, with the investigation examining more than 75,000 animals. "All herd 
inventories have been completed," he noted and no premises are under a hold 
order at this time.

Some 225 animals "animals of interest" were identified on 10 premises in three 
states that "were or could have been from the source herd in Alberta," DeHaven 
said. All 225 were sacrificed and BSE testing has been negative on all of 
those animals, he said.

Of the 81 animals, 25 were born either one year before or one year after the 
index cow, DeHaven said, and given culling practices, USDA should have been 
able to locate 11 of them. "We actually found 14 and that is a credit to the 
hard work of our field force," he observed.

"We are confident that the remaining animals that we were not able to identify 
pose very little risk," DeHaven stated. "There were probably no other 
positives in that herd from Canada," he added, noting that USDA "never 
expected to find all of them (cattle that came from the herd in Canada)."

"Many of those animals were moved into the U.S. an a number of years ago," 
DeHaven said. "Some of the paper trail has gotten cold." Chances are that some 
of the ID tags that may have been present in the animals "have been lost," he 
said, "and a number of those animals could well have gone to slaughter."

As part of the briefing, DeHaven also reviewed the recommendations from the 
international panel of experts who reviewed the U.S. BSE situation.

Regarding the recommendations on banning Specified Risk Materials (SRMs) from 
feed and banning all mammalian protein from cattle feed, Dr. Stephen Sundlof 
with the Food and Drug Administration said that the agency didn't take those 
steps because in looking at the Harvard risk assessment, it did not appears 
such steps were needed.

"We were a little surprised at the recommendation of the committee," Sundlof 
said, "and we're trying to understand why there are two views on the SRM 
issue." He pointed out that the Harvard study indicated that if as many as 500 
positive BSE animals were to enter the cattle herd, that over a period of time 
the disease would eradicate itself.

"That's quite a different outcome than the recommendation of the expert 
committee," Sundlof continued. "We are taking the report into account. It will 
become part of record as we go forth with our rulemaking. We will try to 
resolve what Harvard indicated and what it appears committee has recommended."

DeHaven was asked about the U.S. ban on Canadian cattle imports and whether 
there has been any change on that front. He said that no decision had been 
made on how to proceed with USDA's proposed rule on allowing certain animals 
in from Canada.

On trade, DeHaven noted that USDA Undersecretary J.B. Penn will leave later 
this week or early next week to go to Japan to "continue discussions." Penn 
will be "armed with the information from the international review panel and 
the conclusion of our investigation," DeHaven said. Penn will also meet with 
South Korea as USDA actively works to resume trade in Asian countries.

As for Mexico, DeHaven said there continues to be "active communication and 
discussions" at various levels and discussions with Mexico and other countries 
are "ongoing with increased fervor."
 
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