Mad Cow DiseaseMad Cow DiseaseMaking sense of the Making sense of the

headlinesheadlines

by Trevor Murdockby Trevor Murdock

OutlineOutline

What is Mad Cow Disease?What is Mad Cow Disease? What is CJD?What is CJD? What has happened so far?What has happened so far? North America - StatusNorth America - Status North America - Signs of Mad Cow North America - Signs of Mad Cow

Disease?Disease?

What is Mad Cow Disease?What is Mad Cow Disease?

TransmissibleTransmissible Spongiform Spongiform Encephalophy (TSE)Encephalophy (TSE)– Scrapie - SheepScrapie - Sheep– BSE - CowsBSE - Cows– Kuru - CannibalsKuru - Cannibals

What is CJD?What is CJD? CJD - HumansCJD - Humans

– brain-wasting disorder: blindness, brain-wasting disorder: blindness, dementia, loss of motor functionsdementia, loss of motor functions

– natural occurrence 1 in a millionnatural occurrence 1 in a million– average age 63average age 63

vCJD - Humans, transmissiblevCJD - Humans, transmissible– from beef (or other meat/animal products)?from beef (or other meat/animal products)?– onset at earlier ageonset at earlier age– incubation depends on exposureincubation depends on exposure

What has happened so What has happened so far?far?

BritainBritain EuropeEurope Government (in)actionGovernment (in)action

– protect cattle industry (at expense of protect cattle industry (at expense of citizens! & history repeated with FMD)citizens! & history repeated with FMD)

Media attentionMedia attention– also focus on cattle industry more also focus on cattle industry more

than peoplethan people

North America - StatusNorth America - Status ruminants still eating parts of ruminants (scrapie ruminants still eating parts of ruminants (scrapie

infected sheep are fed to pigs)infected sheep are fed to pigs) 13 percent of 397 US feed mills that process 13 percent of 397 US feed mills that process

meat and bone meal have no system for meat and bone meal have no system for preventing products from being mixed!!!preventing products from being mixed!!!

spray-dried blood products in feedspray-dried blood products in feed gelatin?, dairy?, bovine-derived products, gelatin?, dairy?, bovine-derived products,

including glandular extracts, collagen, including glandular extracts, collagen, glucosamine and chondroitinglucosamine and chondroitin

virtually no testing !!! - Italy only found BSE when virtually no testing !!! - Italy only found BSE when it started testingit started testing

North America - Signs of North America - Signs of Mad Cow Disease?Mad Cow Disease?

Apr 1996 - Nov 1997, NE Texas (~1 Apr 1996 - Nov 1997, NE Texas (~1 million): 8 CJD cases (younger than million): 8 CJD cases (younger than average). average). From the Texas Dept of health as From the Texas Dept of health as

quoted by Howard Lyman in Mad Cowboy.quoted by Howard Lyman in Mad Cowboy. Pittsburgh autopsies of 54 patients Pittsburgh autopsies of 54 patients

died of dementia, 3 of them had CJD. died of dementia, 3 of them had CJD. From Neurology, 1989, 39 (1): pp. 76-69 as quoted From Neurology, 1989, 39 (1): pp. 76-69 as quoted by Howard Lyman in Mad Cowboy.by Howard Lyman in Mad Cowboy.

Alzheimer’s ??? - similar symptomsAlzheimer’s ??? - similar symptoms

CanadaCanada

cattle fed to cattle in Canada until 1997 cattle fed to cattle in Canada until 1997 - good chance of BSE +ve offspring in - good chance of BSE +ve offspring in food chain NOWfood chain NOW

11 cattle from Britain got into Canada’s 11 cattle from Britain got into Canada’s food chain in 1993 food chain in 1993 (according to a European (according to a European Union scientific committee)Union scientific committee)

2 blood donors had died of CJD in 19952 blood donors had died of CJD in 1995 Canada not in lowest risk rank (Canada not in lowest risk rank (European European

Commission report 2000)Commission report 2000)

SummarySummary Mad Cow Disease risk is realMad Cow Disease risk is real Cannot wait for government to protect the Cannot wait for government to protect the

food supply (deny human risk as long as food supply (deny human risk as long as possible, protect industry)possible, protect industry)

Many questionable practices remainMany questionable practices remain Increased exposure --> increased risk and Increased exposure --> increased risk and

reduced incubation periodreduced incubation period Best protection: reduce --> eliminate beef, Best protection: reduce --> eliminate beef,

meat, dairy, gelatin, etc.meat, dairy, gelatin, etc.