Mad Cow disease, or its scientific name Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), is a fatal brain-wasting disease in cattle which was first identified in the United Kingdom (UK) in 1986. The disease has an incubation period lasting 4-7 years, but ultimately is fatal for cattle within weeks of its onset.(1)
BSE is one of a number of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs) - a family of diseases in humans and animals which are characterized by sponge-like lesions in the brain. Other examples of TSEs are found in sheep, deer, elk, mink and even the feline species. In deer and elk, TSE is commonly referred to as "Chronic Wasting Disease" and in sheep the disease is known as "scrapie." It is widely believed that cattle in Britain developed BSE as a result of being fed the rendered carcasses of dead sheep that were infected with scrapie.
There is a great deal of speculation as to the original cause of Mad Cow disease. According to the widely-held "prion theory", the BSE agent is composed largely, if not entirely, of a self-replicating protein referred to as a "prion." Another theory suggests that the agent is virus-like and possesses nucleic acids which carry information. Strong evidence collected over the past decade supports the prion theory, but the ability of the BSE agent to form multiple strains is more easily explained by a virus-like agent.
Epidemiological studies conducted in the UK suggest it is spread through cattle feed prepared from carcasses of other ruminants - any of a group of even-toed, hoofed, cud-chewing mammals, including cattle, deer, and elk. No one knows for sure how the first cow (or cows) got BSE, but we know it spread throughout Britain and eventually the world through the cannibalistic practice of making cattle feed out of the bits of cattle (offal) that are not fed to humans. Like a "chain-letter", offal from a Mad Cow infected many more cattle and offal of those cattle infected many more.
Mad cow cases in Texas, Alabama appear to be mysterious strain PDF LIBBY QUAID Jun. 11, 2006
Government Refusal to Let Kansas Meatpacker Test Cows for Mad Cow Disease Spurs Lawsuit PDF Mar. 22, 2006
U.S. plans to reduce mad cow testing PDF By AP Wed, March 15, 2006 - Despite [Because of] the confirmation of a third case of mad cow disease in the U.S., the American government intends to scale back testing for the brain-wasting disorder blamed for the deaths of more than 150 people in Europe.
BSE is found in US beef cow PDF Sat 11 Jun 2005
U.S. covering up mad cow cases, scientist says PDF Canadian Press
CJD/Mad Cow Deaths Not Reportable In 28 States From Patricia Doyle, PhD dr_p_doyle@hotmail.com 7-16-4
Don't trust USDA about mad cow SEATTLE POST Monday, May 24, 2004 - Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman secretly began allowing imports of Canadian ground beef and other relatively risky meat cuts last year, soon after suggesting that such a change wouldn't occur without public debate.
USDA TRIES TO HALT 100% MAD COW TESTING BY CREEKSTONE - While Japan's government, various activist groups and even some politicians have said they favor testing all animals, USDA officials have said the step is not needed because the disease is found in older animals. A criminal act?
USDA Tells Mad Cow Slaughterhouse: No More Tests Number Of Mad-Cow Tests In NW Didn't Reach Federal Agency's Goal By Sandi Doughton Seattle Times 2-24-4
Slaughterhouse "splitting saw" targets cattle's spine "Contamination is smeared across every cut" by Dave Louthan, Unknown News Jan. 26, 2004
Three more CJD cases tied to New Jersey By Steve Mitchell - An eighth person has died from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in southern New Jersey and two other possible cases may be linked to the area where seven others have succumbed to the rare brain disorder -- one form of which is linked to mad cow, United Press International has learned.
Many US Alzheimer's Victims Actually Die From Mad Cow/CJD- Surprisingly, the autopsies respectively showed that 13 percent and five percent of the dead were actually CJD cases misdiagnosed as Alzheimer's disease. If new research supports that approximately 10 percent of all Alzheimer's disease related deaths are in fact misdiagnosed CJD cases, then 10,000 to 40,000 CJD deaths will suddenly appear in America each year. That would be an epidemic.
A Worker from the Mad Cow Meat Plant Speaks Out - They Are Lying About Your Food By DAVE LOUTHAN - The USDA only tested the downers and cripples and only at our plant. We had only been taking brain samples for about a month when we found this one. When the USDA said no more downers would be slaughtered, they essentially said no more BSE testing would be done.
Kansas Woman Dies Of CJD/Mad Cow From Allan P 12-24-03
Public likely ate suspect cow meat 12/27/03 ANDY DWORKIN - It was sold mostly as ground beef to Northwest customers from about Dec. 15 through Dec. 23 --
More Deadly Lies - Did USDA Even Test 20,000 Cattle? USDA Refuses To Release Mad Cow Test Records By Steve Mitchell United Press International 12-24-03
Second herd quarantined in America's BSE scare as feed mills accused of defying rules By Andrew Buncombe in Washington State 27 December 2003
US Violates WHO Guidelines For Mad Cow Disease A Comparison of North American and European Safeguards By Michael Greger, M.D. For the Organic Consumers Association Updated July 15, 2003 12-26-03