Mad Cow Disease Strikes Again: Fourth Confirmed Case on U.S. Soil
(Central News Agency reporter Chen Weiting, Taipei, 25th) Department of Health Director-General Chiu Wen-ta said today that media reports of a mad cow disease case found in California, USA, and the Department of Health has contacted the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) to actively verify. As for whether it will affect US beef imports, he said it needs in-depth discussion.
The US Department of Agriculture confirmed that a dairy cow in California has mad cow disease, but stated that the body parts of this dairy cow did not enter the US food supply chain. This is the 4th domestic case since the US first discovered mad cow disease in 2003.
Chiu Wen-ta attended the Legislative Yuan's Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee today. Before the meeting, he said in an interview with the media that a mad cow disease case was found in the US, and according to the Taiwan-US protocol, the US should proactively notify Taiwan. In addition to waiting for the US notification, the Department of Health also proactively contacted AIT for verification, and will also check whether the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) has announced anything, or whether there has been a downgrade.
When media asked whether the reported mad cow disease in the US would affect the US beef import policy, Chiu Wen-ta said, "This is exactly what we need to consider," and will discuss it further in depth.
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Mad Cow Disease Reported Again, 4th Domestic Case in the US
(Central News Agency, Washington, 24th, comprehensive foreign news report) The US Department of Agriculture confirmed that a dairy cow in California has mad cow disease, but stated that the body parts of this dairy cow did not enter the US food supply chain. This is the 4th domestic case since the US first discovered mad cow disease in 2003.
US Department of Agriculture Chief Veterinary Officer John Clifford said, "There is no reason for alarm." This dairy cow was found infected with mad cow disease at a rendering plant. Rendering plants specifically handle the bodies of sick livestock to make non-edible products used in things like soap and adhesives.
The US first discovered mad cow disease in 2003, causing beef exports to plummet by 3 billion US dollars the following year. Humans who eat infected parts of mad cow disease cattle are believed to possibly contract Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, i.e. human mad cow disease.
Although there is no evidence that humans can get sick from drinking milk from mad cow disease cattle, Chicago live cattle futures fell sharply due to concerns about a possible backlash from consumers and major US beef importing countries.
Clifford said the US has begun notifying the World Organization for Animal Health authorities and US trading partners, but stated that this discovery will not affect US beef exports.
This dairy cow was found at a rendering plant in central California, and the US Department of Agriculture is still tracing its exact life history.
The Department of Agriculture said the body of this dairy cow will be destroyed, and it is believed that it did not contract the disease from eating contaminated feed.
Clifford told reporters at a briefing at the Department of Agriculture headquarters: "Regarding this dairy cow, there is really nothing to panic about. On this issue, both human and livestock health are protected."
After the US discovered mad cow disease in 2003, beef exports fell 75% the following year, with overall beef exports plunging from 1.27 million metric tons to 321,967 metric tons, and it was not until 2010 that it recovered to more than 1 million metric tons.
According to the US Meat Export Federation (US Meat Export Fede), the total value of US beef exports in 2004 fell sharply from 3.86 billion US dollars in 2003 to 809 million US dollars.
Since mad cow disease was first diagnosed in the UK in 1986, the European Union has found more than 190,000 cases, forcing millions of cattle to be culled.
More than 200 people worldwide are suspected to have died from human mad cow disease, most of them in the UK. Human mad cow disease was first defined in 1996.
Scientists believe mad cow disease is caused by making feed from infected parts of cattle to feed other cattle. Authorities believe that eating meat from infected cattle may cause human mad cow disease.