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Mad Cow Disease

June 24, 2005

The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed that the inconclusive BSE test first reported on Nov. 18, 2004 was in fact a positive. The sample was forwarded to The Veterinary Laboratories Agency in Weybridge, England after additional testing showed a "weak positive" for BSE. The agency confirmed the positive.

The test results may put in a damper on beef exports, which showed signs of picking up, says Chris Hurt, a Purdue Extension ag economist. "I don't think this will have major financial implications, but it may delay our efforts to begin exports to Japan and other countries," he said.

January 3, 2005

Canada confirmed its second case of mad cow disease on Sunday, Jan. 2. The dairy cow, from Alberta, Canada, was born in 1996. The United States Department of Agriculture said the confirmation would not alter plans to reopen the U.S. border to Canadian beef.

November 23, 2004

The inconclusive test for BSE that USDA reported on November 18, 2004 proved to be negative on further testing.   This is in addition to those reported June 25, 2004 and June 29, 2004, which also tested negative for BSE upon confirmatory testing at the National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, IA.

Since June 1, 2004 USDA/APHIS has examined brain samples from over 120,000 high risk animals using a rapid screening test.   APHIS uses a screening test from Bio-Rad that is extremely sensitive, but occasionally detects animals that prove not to have BSE.   Further tests such as western blot technique or immunohistochemistry are used as confirmatory tests.  The November 18, 2004 inconclusive test proved not to be a case of BSE, when subjected to these tests.

Detected for the first time in the United States in December 2003, mad cow disease, technically known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE, is a chronic degenerative disorder that affects the central nervous system of cattle. The following includes current information about mad cow disease and efforts to protect the food system.

Purdue Agriculture News Releases:

Purdue ag economist: Mad cow may ground beef export efforts

June 24, 2004

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has confirmed that the inconclusive bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) test first reported on Nov. 18 was, in fact, a positive.

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Purdue experts available for comment on mad cow disease

November 19, 2004

Purdue University experts in agricultural economics and animal disease diagnostics can speak about what a possible second case of mad cow disease could mean to the United States.

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As a rapid testing program for mad cow disease continues to ramp up in the United States, false positives, like the one confirmed Wednesday (June 30), will continue to crop up, according to a Purdue University veterinary pathologist.

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Publications

Mad Cow Disease: Is It a Threat to the U.S. Food Supply?(PDF)*

Difference Between Mad Cow and Foot and Mouth Disease(PDF)*

* To read PDF files, you need to download and install the free software, Adobe Acrobat Reader.

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