U.S., Canada at Odds Over Mad Cow Origin

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http://news.myway.com/top/article/id/375378|top|12-27-2003::21:12|reuters.html

 

U.S., Canada at Odds Over Mad Cow Origin

 

 

Dec 27, 9:08 PM (ET)

 

By Randy Fabi

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Agriculture Department said on Saturday the

Washington state dairy cow infected with mad cow disease had probably been

imported from Canada but Canadian authorities called the statement premature.

Ron DeHaven, the USDA's chief veterinarian, told reporters the animal was likely

imported into Idaho from Alberta, Canada, in August 2001.

" The positive animal likely entered the United States as part of a group of 74

dairy cattle that were imported through the border crossing at Eastport (in

Idaho), " DeHaven said.

But in Ottawa, chief Canadian veterinarian Dr Brian Evans told a news

conference: " It would be premature to draw such a conclusion at this time ... As

yet, there is no definitive evidence that confirms that the BSE-infected cow

originated in Canada. "

In May this year, Canadian officials reported a single case of mad cow disease

in a black Angus cow in Alberta, but the USDA said it was too early to speculate

on whether the two cases were related.

This week's discovery of the first U.S. case of mad cow disease in a 6-1/2

year-old Holstein dairy cow has halted most U.S. exports of beef, sent food

company stocks tumbling and shaken consumer confidence.

Some two dozen countries including Japan have banned U.S. beef, seriously

threatening the $27 billion U.S. cattle industry.

DeHaven said the 74 imported cows were sent to a dairy farm in Mattawa,

Washington and the infected cow was later sold to another dairy operation in

Mabton, Washington. The USDA is still unsure where the cow was born.

The USDA, which has already quarantined two Washington herds, is investigating

where the other 73 dairy cows went.

" We feel confident that we are going to be able to determine the whereabouts of

most, if not all, of these animals within the next several days, " DeHaven said.

Evans said Canadian and U.S. authorities were cooperating closely to track the

origins of the cow, but the United States needed to carry out a full scientific

probe which could be submitted to international experts for peer review.

" It is imperative that all the evidence be weighed and verified before anyone

jumps to any predetermination, " he said. " There is still much investigative work

to be done. "

The U.S. National Cattlemen's Beef Association said its trading partners should

allow U.S. beef shipments to resume if the infected cow came from Canada.

The USDA said meat linked to the infected cow was sold in Washington, Oregon,

California and Nevada.

" It's too early for us to know how much of it has been sold and ... whether it

has in fact been consumed, " said Kenneth Petersen of USDA's Food Safety and

Inspection Service.

Safeway Inc. (SWY.N), Fred Meyer and Albertsons Inc. (ABS.N) have asked

customers to return certain cases of beef patties and other products that

originated at Vern's of Moses Lake Meats, which slaughtered the infected cow.

The plant this week recalled more than 10,000 pounds of raw ground beef.

Bush administration officials repeated assurances that the beef supply was safe

for consumers.

Scientists believe mad cow disease spreads through the consumption of feed

contaminated with diseased brain or spinal column material. The Food and Drug

Administration said it had located all " high risk " material from the infected

cow.

A USDA spokeswoman said that due to the new findings, the department would take

another look at a proposal to reopen the border to young Canadian cattle. " New

information from the investigation will be taken into consideration, " said Julie

Quick.

An outbreak of mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE),

forced the slaughter of millions of cattle in Europe in the 1990s. At least 137

people, mostly in Britain, died of a human form of the disease, known as variant

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. (Additional reporting by David Ljunggrenn in Ottawa)

 

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