BSE                                     ...

BSE                                                                                                

Investigation Of Alabama BSE Case Complete

USDA Chief Veterinary Officer John Clifford released a statement today (May 2) in which he announced that “the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have completed their investigations regarding a cow that tested positive for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in Alabama in March.”

The statement emphasized that the animal was born prior to the implementation of FDA’s 1997 ban on feeding ruminant protein to ruminants and did not enter the animal or human food chain.

After investigating 36 farms and five auction houses and conducting DNA testing on herds that may have included relatives of the index animal, APHIS and Alabama State officials located no relatives of the animal except two calves, one living and one which died last year. Although the animal’s herd of origin was not located, due to the animal’s age, “experience worldwide has shown that it is highly unusual to find BSE in more than one animal in a herd or in an affected animal’s offspring.”

The FDA conducted a feed investigation into local feed mills that may have supplied feed to the index animal after the 1997 feed ban and found that “all local feed mills that handle prohibited materials have been and continue to be in compliance with the FDA’s feed ban.”

BSE                                                                                                

Investigation Of Alabama BSE Case Complete

USDA Chief Veterinary Officer John Clifford released a statement today (May 2) in which he announced that “the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have completed their investigations regarding a cow that tested positive for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in Alabama in March.”

The statement emphasized that the animal was born prior to the implementation of FDA’s 1997 ban on feeding ruminant protein to ruminants and did not enter the animal or human food chain.

After investigating 36 farms and five auction houses and conducting DNA testing on herds that may have included relatives of the index animal, APHIS and Alabama State officials located no relatives of the animal except two calves, one living and one which died last year. Although the animal’s herd of origin was not located, due to the animal’s age, “experience worldwide has shown that it is highly unusual to find BSE in more than one animal in a herd or in an affected animal’s offspring.”

The FDA conducted a feed investigation into local feed mills that may have supplied feed to the index animal after the 1997 feed ban and found that “all local feed mills that handle prohibited materials have been and continue to be in compliance with the FDA’s feed ban.”