The Associated Press reports that federal investigators probing the California recent case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), better known as mad cow disease, “have tracked down at least one of her offspring in another state.” The cow was euthanized, brain samples were examined, and the result came back negative for BSE. (There is no way to test a live cow for BSE.)
According to the story, “The USDA has declined to name the dairies or the state where the offspring was found.
“USDA officials also said on Wednesday that within the last two years, the diseased cow gave birth to a stillborn calf. They did not say how that carcass was disposed.
“Officials also are investigating the calf ranch where the diseased cow was raised before she was sold into dairy productions. Investigators said they have been unable to locate for testing the cattle that were raised with the one who developed mad cow disease.”
The California case is just the fourth time BSE has been detected in a cow living in the US. There are some 35 million cattle slaughtered in the US each year, and the federal government tests just 45,000 of them annually.
According to the story, “The USDA has declined to name the dairies or the state where the offspring was found.
“USDA officials also said on Wednesday that within the last two years, the diseased cow gave birth to a stillborn calf. They did not say how that carcass was disposed.
“Officials also are investigating the calf ranch where the diseased cow was raised before she was sold into dairy productions. Investigators said they have been unable to locate for testing the cattle that were raised with the one who developed mad cow disease.”
The California case is just the fourth time BSE has been detected in a cow living in the US. There are some 35 million cattle slaughtered in the US each year, and the federal government tests just 45,000 of them annually.
- KC's View:
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I really hate phrases like “they have been unable to locate for testing the cattle that were raised with the one who developed mad cow disease.” I also hate it when the feds won;t identify states or dairies or how things are being handled. It runs contrary to the kind of transparency that I expect, the kind of transparency that might actually give people some faith in the process.
