See Below...
"~ jan JJsPond.us" wrote in message
...
From "Janet":
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl...coww0703/BNSto
ry/National/
http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2003/07/03/madcow_us030703
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl...C/20030704/UCO
WWN/TPNational/TopStories
Wow, thanks Janet. Course they don't really say they knew much either.
From
the last article, "While it is more likely the cow contracted BSE from a
Canadian source" I add, the rest of the article bascially said, there was
only a 5% chance it came from the US, and if so, was given feed prior to
the 1997 ban. Basically no evidence to claim it absolutely came from the
US.
Exactly Jan, as that mass importation of the 25,000 head took place just
under the wire as to avoid the cattle health registry that was being put
into place. Unfortunately those 25,000 head no longer show their US origins
in the records, hence they cannot be sure. The way the registry works is
that anything that was here and on your farm at the beginning of the program
was tagged as originating at your farm. If a rancher didn't keep their own
records there would be no way to track back from there.
The last article that I read on this after some snooping around the net
reports that the Canadian AG dept at the end of their extensive
investigation could only say with 95% certainty that the cow that tested
positive was Canadian born. They felt it was highly likely that the cow
in
question came into Canada ( most likely as a fetus)during the mass
importation of the 25,000 head of pregnant females. It is now known that
those females were fed feed in the US that contained animal proteins...
So you're saying you got the impression from the articles it was the fetus
that picked up BSE from the mother eating infected feed? The fetus and
eventually calf/cow was the one they found infected? I must be
misunderstanding, because Canada only found 1 BSE cow, if the calf had it,
so would have the mother. Unless the calf was fed contaminated feed, which
it would have gotten in Canada if born there from the PG US cow. ???
IIRC Jan the mother of the cow that tested positive here was previously
deceased so could not be tested. They are doing extensive research on this
now Jan both here and in the UK. Theoretically BSE could pass from mother to
calf in the uterus. Given the fact that there can be such a long incubation
period before symptoms appear. These are just a few of the theories that are
currently be worked on. Personally I find it rather scarey that they don't
know more about BSE.
I don't think they've yet to prove it transfers from cow to calf, my
understanding, so far, is they're fairly sure it does not. Hopefully we'll
should find something out regarding that, when they track down "Daisy's"
offspring and test them, since she obviously had BSE before birthing them.
In the meantime, I wish they'd find out where those other 73 Holstein cows
are. hurrumpt
Oh well.... just read in the paper today that even though we have banned
these cow parts as cattle feed, we still feed it to other livestock and
since all this feed is usually made in the same warehouses, a little
sloppiness and we end up with cattle eating cow brains. Honestly, I sure
hope they fix this. I think I'm going to go organic until than. ~ jan
Isn't this why we see the e-coli recalls in ground beef as well ?? ;o) I
think what burns my butt is that even though the ban involving feed went
into affect in 1997 I read all the time ranchers shouting the fact they
still do it! One in particular over in misc.rural very publically states
that her husband was feeding the banned animal proteins right up until last
year! Now they are crapping their pants! Jan please don't get me going on
organic... read the USDA definitions of what can legally carry the organic
label, it might shock you...
)
Janet