sillco
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WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--Government investigators looking into the latest
case of mad-cow disease in the U.S. won't likely be able to find the
source of the cow's infection, a Food and Drug Administration official
said Thursday.
Stephen Sundlof, director of FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine, told
reporters, "It's going to be nearly impossible to identify any
particular feed."
Mad-cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy, is believed to be
spread among cattle through feed containing infected cattle parts. The
FDA has prohibited bovine material from being included in cattle feed
since 1997.
If FDA could find the producer of the tainted feed that infected the cow
- found on an Alabama farm earlier this month - it might be able to find
how widely the feed was distributed.
But U.S. Department of Agriculture officials believe the cow was at
least 10 years old when she was euthanized by a local veterinarian on
the Alabama farm where she had resided for less than a year.
"It was a long time ago," Sundlof said, suggesting the time lapsed makes
it complicated in finding out what the cow ate when it was young and the
infection occurred.
It might help, he said, if the USDA can find out where the infected cow
was born, but even then FDA's job of finding an infected feed source is
close to impossible.
If anyone is concerned the goverment will know something about their business, be assured, they already do.
case of mad-cow disease in the U.S. won't likely be able to find the
source of the cow's infection, a Food and Drug Administration official
said Thursday.
Stephen Sundlof, director of FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine, told
reporters, "It's going to be nearly impossible to identify any
particular feed."
Mad-cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy, is believed to be
spread among cattle through feed containing infected cattle parts. The
FDA has prohibited bovine material from being included in cattle feed
since 1997.
If FDA could find the producer of the tainted feed that infected the cow
- found on an Alabama farm earlier this month - it might be able to find
how widely the feed was distributed.
But U.S. Department of Agriculture officials believe the cow was at
least 10 years old when she was euthanized by a local veterinarian on
the Alabama farm where she had resided for less than a year.
"It was a long time ago," Sundlof said, suggesting the time lapsed makes
it complicated in finding out what the cow ate when it was young and the
infection occurred.
It might help, he said, if the USDA can find out where the infected cow
was born, but even then FDA's job of finding an infected feed source is
close to impossible.
If anyone is concerned the goverment will know something about their business, be assured, they already do.
