Inspections for Mad Cow Lag Those Done Abroad (bush* failure)

[diamond14]

Inspections for Mad Cow Lag Those Done Abroad

By MARIAN BURROS and DONALD G. McNEIL Jr.
Published: December 24, 2003

In discussing the case of mad cow disease apparently found in Washington State, Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman said yesterday that her department had tested 20,526 cattle for mad cow disease last year. But that is only a small percentage of the 35 million commercially slaughtered each year.

Because no domestic cases of mad cow disease have been found before, the United States has never put in place the kind of stringent testing done in Japan and some European countries, where every animal is supposed to be tested before humans can eat it.


"You can go into any feed store and buy Calf Starter or calf milk substitute," said John Stauber, co-author of "Mad Cow U.S.A." a 1997 book that warned that the disease could reach this country. "We're weaning calves on cattle blood proteins, even though we know blood plasma can carry the disease."


If an animal becomes infected, the incubation period of the disease is between three and eight years, so the detection of one animal with the disease suggests that others may have been infected by the same source but have not yet been found


http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/24/science/24INSP.html

[JailForBush]

1. Stupid is as stupid does. N/T

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. ok this is making it to the NYT

no cover and blame is being given... hmmm

I guess the NYT is pissed