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Tuesday » January 6 » 2004
DNA confirms cow came from Canada
       
CP
WASHINGTON (CP) -- Two sets of DNA tests in Canada and the United States have confirmed that a Washington state Holstein that tested positive for mad cow disease was born on an Alberta ranch.
Dr. Ron DeHaven, chief veterinarian for the U.S. Agriculture Department, said he was “confident in the accuracy of this traceback.â€
The chief veterinarian for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said the tests are just one part of a sweeping investigation that will include tracing the feed that likely infected the cow.
The results, announced Tuesday, have been highly anticipated since U.S. officials revealed the country’s first mad cow case Dec. 23.
Days later, officials tentatively pegged the cow’s birthplace and birthdate of April 1997, four months before safety restrictions on the contents of cattle feed were adopted by both countries.
The origin of the feed, which could have come from several sources, is still not known.
The news is a blow to Canada, where the infection of a lone beef cow in May had already thrown the industry into chaos, with losses of more than $1.9 billion Cdn.
The United States, which is tracing 80 other cows imported from the same Alberta herd, may be able to retain a mad cow-free status to soothe anxious trading partners that banned American products after the announcement.
But many in the industry say the cow’s origin really doesn’t matter because the Canadian and U.S. cattle and feed sectors are so integrated after decades of heavy trade.
U.S. officials say they won’t make a decision on whether to reopen the border to live cattle from Canada until the investigation is complete.
Americans banned Canadian cattle and beef products after the May 20 case. Some products from young cattle, thought to be at low risk for carrying the disease, began moving across the border in September.
“Beef continues to be safe, whether this cow originated in Canada or not,†said DeHaven, who noted there is some currency in being able to say it wasn’t American-born.
“Our cattle markets are highly integrated at this time.â€
Mad cow, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy, eats holes in the brains of cattle. Humans can develop a deadly form of the disease by eating contaminated beef. During an outbreak in the 1980s, 143 people died of it in Britain.
© Copyright 2004 CP
Copyright © 2004 CanWest Interactive, a division of CanWest Global Communications Corp. All rights reserved.
Optimized for browser versions 4.0 and higher.
Tuesday » January 6 » 2004
DNA confirms cow came from Canada
       
CP
WASHINGTON (CP) -- Two sets of DNA tests in Canada and the United States have confirmed that a Washington state Holstein that tested positive for mad cow disease was born on an Alberta ranch.
Dr. Ron DeHaven, chief veterinarian for the U.S. Agriculture Department, said he was “confident in the accuracy of this traceback.â€
The chief veterinarian for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said the tests are just one part of a sweeping investigation that will include tracing the feed that likely infected the cow.
The results, announced Tuesday, have been highly anticipated since U.S. officials revealed the country’s first mad cow case Dec. 23.
Days later, officials tentatively pegged the cow’s birthplace and birthdate of April 1997, four months before safety restrictions on the contents of cattle feed were adopted by both countries.
The origin of the feed, which could have come from several sources, is still not known.
The news is a blow to Canada, where the infection of a lone beef cow in May had already thrown the industry into chaos, with losses of more than $1.9 billion Cdn.
The United States, which is tracing 80 other cows imported from the same Alberta herd, may be able to retain a mad cow-free status to soothe anxious trading partners that banned American products after the announcement.
But many in the industry say the cow’s origin really doesn’t matter because the Canadian and U.S. cattle and feed sectors are so integrated after decades of heavy trade.
U.S. officials say they won’t make a decision on whether to reopen the border to live cattle from Canada until the investigation is complete.
Americans banned Canadian cattle and beef products after the May 20 case. Some products from young cattle, thought to be at low risk for carrying the disease, began moving across the border in September.
“Beef continues to be safe, whether this cow originated in Canada or not,†said DeHaven, who noted there is some currency in being able to say it wasn’t American-born.
“Our cattle markets are highly integrated at this time.â€
Mad cow, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy, eats holes in the brains of cattle. Humans can develop a deadly form of the disease by eating contaminated beef. During an outbreak in the 1980s, 143 people died of it in Britain.
© Copyright 2004 CP
Copyright © 2004 CanWest Interactive, a division of CanWest Global Communications Corp. All rights reserved.
Optimized for browser versions 4.0 and higher.