BSE detected in US dairy cow
Officials of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) have confirmed that a single dairy cow in California has tested positive for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). The USDA also confirmed that the animal died on a farm in central California before it could be presented for slaughter and therefore never reached either the food or feed chains. Consequently, there has been no risk to human health.
It is understood that the cow was first noticed to be nonambulatory (colloquially, a 'downer') at the farm of origin, and the carcass is currently being held at a rendering facility under the authority of the State of California prior to its destruction. Western Blot tests and immunohistochemistry have established that the cow had atypical BSE, an exceptionally rare variant of the disease not usually associated with the consumption of infected feed but instead acquired spontaneously.
Commenting, USDA Chief Veterinary Officer John Clifford has emphasized that "This detection in no way affects the United States' BSE status as determined by the OIE [World Animal Health]. The United States has in place all of the elements of a system that OIE has determined ensures that beef and beef products are safe for human consumption: a mammalian feed ban, removal of specified risk materials, and vigorous surveillance. Consequently, this detection should not affect U.S. Trade."
With Strangles Awareness Week just around the corner (5-11 May), vets are being encouraged to share a survey about the disease with their horse-owning clients.
