BSE found in US, please learn from the UK : Simon Perry: Schemes, dreams & trivia

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BSE found in US, please learn from the UK

24th December 2003 by Simon

I heard on BBC Radio 4 today that BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy) has been discovered in Washington state.

The infection of the animal was detected on 9.Dec, it appears that only now is the news being released. It is understood that the meat from the animal is now in the human food chain. Its spinal cord and brain went to a rendering plant, passing in to the creation of cattle feed or pet food.

American Agriculture secretary, Ann Veneman, was quoted as saying “I plan to serve beef for my Christmas dinner and we remain confident in our food supply,” Let’s not forget the beef industry in the US is a $100Bn business and that might be colouring the advice.

We in the UK have heard politicians speaking in the same way prior to our BSE infection. One of our own politicians, John Selwyn, even fed a beef burger to his daughter in front of the camera to try and calm the public.

About a week ago died it was confirmed that a man in the UK died from variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) after receiving a blood transfusion infected with BSE. At the time of the UK outbreak, we were told it was not possible for the disease to pass from animals to humans.

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