Dairy : BSE information

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)

On December 23, 2003 Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman* announced that the first presumptive case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) was found in a dairy cow in the state of Washington. Nervous System tissue was taken from the infected cow and later confirmed with the disease. Although this diseased cow has been confirmed in the United State I want to reassure you that you should continue buying and consuming meat and meat products especially from local producers who raise their own feed.

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) is a degenerative disease that affects the central nervous system in beef and dairy cattle. BSE is not treatable but animals can only get the disease through ingestion of feed products that contain nervous tissue, which has been banned in the United States since 1997. The agent that causes BSE is found only in ruminant animals (cattle, sheep, and goats) and only in certain tissues such as the spinal cord and brain. These tissues are typically removed at slaughter and do not enter the food chain. There has been no evidence of the infective agent being detected in milk or muscle tissue. The USDA inspects all cattle before being slaughtered, and any cattle that show signs of neurological disorders are tested for BSE. BSE is rarely found in animals less than 30 months of age. The majority of the beef consumed in the U.S. is from cattle that are younger than 24 months. *

More importantly after understanding what BSE is and how it is transmitted, it is necessary to understand the precautionary safety measure that are in affect to protect our food supply here in Washington County. For the past several years, the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets has taken precautions to prevent the introduction of BSE in New York State. Specifically, the State has done the following. The department cooperates with the USDA in ensuring that cattle arriving at slaughter plants are properly inspected and, if symptoms warrant, samples are taken for BSE testing. Department veterinarians provide up-to-date information and assist with identification of potential BSE cases for the State's veterinary practitioners, veterinary laboratory diagnosticians, and farmers. The Department routinely inspects all of the State's feed mills and distributors for compliance with the FDA ruminant feed ban.

*Additional and up to date information can be found on the following websites:
www.usda.gov
www.aphis.usda.gov
www.FDA.gov
www.agctr.lsu.edu/eden