REPORT ON THE INVESTIGATION OF THE NINTH CASE OF BSE CANADA

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Subject: REPORT ON THE INVESTIGATION OF THE NINTH CASE OF BSE IN CANADA
UPDATE MARCH 26, 2007
Date: March 26, 2007 at 11:23 am PST

REPORT ON THE INVESTIGATION OF THE NINTH CASE OF BOVINE SPONGIFORM
ENCEPHALOPATHY (BSE) IN CANADA
Background
Between January 20 and 22, 2007, a bull on a commercial beef farm in
northern Alberta died after having experienced a loss of body condition over
the course of the winter. A private practitioner sampled the animal under
Canada's National BSE Surveillance Program on January 24, 2007. Brain
samples were received by the Alberta Agriculture and Food (AAF) Laboratory
on January 29, where they were screened for BSE using a Bio-Rad rapid test.
The preliminary test results received on January 30, 2007, did not rule out
BSE. In accordance with the prescribed testing protocol, the test was
repeated on January 31 and produced a second reaction. Brain samples were
then sent to the National BSE Reference Laboratory in Lethbridge, Alberta,
where rapid screening tests validating these results were performed. BSE was
confirmed by the Scrapie Associated Fibril (SAF) immunoblot procedure with
monoclonal antibody 6H4 on February 7, 2007. This method had been chosen as
the main confirmatory test because of poor tissue quality (autolysis and
freezing artefact). Immunohistochemistry was also performed for additional
confirmation and was positive on February 7, 2007. The carcass was secured
from the farm, transferred to the AAF laboratory and incinerated. No part of
the carcass entered the human food supply or animal feed chain.

The CFIA immediately initiated an epidemiological investigation based on the
most recent World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) recommended BSE
guidelines. Specifically, the CFIA investigated:

the birth cohort (all cattle born in the same herd as, and within 12 months
of, the birth of the BSE-positive animal);
the feed cohort (all cattle which, during their first year of life, were
reared with the BSE-positive animal during its first year of life, and which
investigation showed consumed the same potentially contaminated feed during
the period); and
feed to which the animal may have been exposed early in its life.
Animal Investigation
The producer identified the positive animal as an unregistered Angus bull 79
months of age at the time of death. The animal was born on the farm and
remained there throughout its life. The bull had been losing condition over
the course of the winter and died from undetermined causes. A private
veterinary practitioner attended the premises to determine if the animal met
the inclusion criteria of Canada's National BSE Surveillance Program. A
post-mortem examination could not be performed because the carcass was
frozen, but the animal was assessed as having a body condition score of one
(emaciated) and arrangements were made to forward appropriate samples for
laboratory evaluation.

In an effort to corroborate the producer's recollection of the animal's
origin and age, samples for DNA analysis were obtained from animals on the
premises that were identified by the owner to be the sire and dam of the
affected bull. The DNA results confirmed the parentage of the case animal
and, therefore, that it was a home-bred animal as described. This
demonstrated that the farm of origin was also the birth farm of the positive
animal.

The dam of the positive animal, located on the birth farm, was demonstrated
to have been born in 1998 according to the producer's tagging system. This
indicated that her first calf - the positive bull - was born as part of the
spring 2000 calf crop, which corroborated the producer's recollection.

The birth and feed cohort comprised 593 animals that, along with the
positive animal, were born or raised on the farm. This includes animals born
in the entire 1999, 2000 and 2001 calving seasons. It also includes
additional animals sold from the farm that cannot be distinguished from the
cohort based on their description at the point of sale. The trace-out
investigation of the cohort identified 57 live animals retained by the
producer. These animals are currently quarantined on the producer's premises
pending a final decision on the timing of their disposition. In the event
that any of the animals are not destroyed immediately, but retained under
official control until after calving or to the end of their productive
lives, their carcasses will be excluded from the food and feed chains on
their death or destruction in accordance with the norms prescribed in the
OIE International Terrestrial Animal Health Code (2006). The following is
the disposition of the remaining 536 animals in the cohort:

411 animals were traced and confirmed to have died or been slaughtered.
49 animals were traced and presumed to have died or been slaughtered.
One animal was traced and confirmed to have been exported and the importing
country has been notified.
Tracing of the remaining 75 animals is expected to be completed by the end
of March (the outcomes of the remaining traces will not change the
epidemiological profile of the investigation, but will achieve the objective
of eliminating any living cohort animals from the food and feed systems as
per OIE guidelines). A final summary of cohort dispositions will be posted
when the remaining traces have been completed.
Feed Investigation
The feed investigation focussed on feeds to which the animal may have been
exposed during its first year of life. Review of the manufacture,
transportation and handling of these feeds did not demonstrate a link
between production practices for a specific product and potential
cross-contamination with prohibited material.

Other species present on the farm included horses, dogs, and cats. On-farm
mixing and delivery equipment consisted of a portable mix mill used to
combine ground grain with commercial products and a mixer wagon used to
combine forages with grain. Feed products available to the horses were the
same as the commercial farm operation - no special products were purchased
for them. Cat and dog food products were purchased and presumed to have
contained prohibited material. These products were stored and fed in the
house since 1999 and were not available to be accessed by the index case.

All identified feed products to which the BSE-positive animal had access
were products intended for feeding to ruminants and consisted of farm-grown
or purchased grains and forages, as well as commercially prepared feed
products. Commercial products included frequent purchase of trace
mineralized salt and intermittent purchase of other mineral, limestone,
protein supplement, molasses, vitamin premix and a complete feed.

The case animal was moved from a pen to pasture shortly after birth and
remained on pasture until weaned at approximately six months of age. While
on pasture, the animal also had access to mineral and trace mineralized
salt. The animal was weaned into a pen where it remained until approximately
10 months of age, prior to returning to pasture. Feeds available during this
time included forages and barley mixed on-farm with limestone, trace
mineralized salt, and vitamin premix. Other products that the animal may
have accessed included a 32% protein supplement and a complete feed.

Commercially prepared products were either purchased directly from a
manufacturer or from a retail supplier that purchased from various
manufacturers concurrently. The mineral and trace mineralized salt products
that were purchased directly from the manufacturer were produced in a
facility that had discontinued using prohibited material prior to May, 1999.
These products were therefore ruled out as a possible source of
contamination.

Investigation at the retailer identified two possible manufacturers of the
trace mineralized salt, one manufacturer of the protein supplement, one
manufacturer of the vitamin premix, one supplier of the limestone and one
manufacturer of the complete feed. Of these, only the protein supplement,
vitamin premix and one of the sources of trace mineralized salt were
manufactured in facilities also handling prohibited material. The
manufacture of the other products was therefore also ruled out as a possible
source of contamination.

The facility manufacturing the protein supplement employed sequencing and
flushing procedures to ensure products for ruminants were free of
contamination with prohibited material. Investigation of specific products
potentially received by the farm confirmed these sequencing and flushing
procedures were followed and documented. The protein supplement was ruled
out as a potential source of contamination.

The facility manufacturing the vitamin premix was also the second
manufacturer of the trace mineralized salt. Manufacturing records for
products from this facility for the time frame of interest are no longer
available so production practices to prevent cross-contamination of ruminant
feeds by prohibited material as required by the regulations could not be
verified. Ingredient receiving records do not document that appropriate
procedures were always followed after receipt of prohibited material so
opportunities for cross-contamination may have existed at this point in the
manufacturing process. However, there are no records to associate specific
production lots through the manufacturer and retailer to the producer.

Transportation records for the complete feed and grain were not available so
confirmation of compliance with regulatory requirements at the time could
not be verified. The possibility of cross-contamination during
transportation cannot be ruled out for these products. The other commercial
products were packaged in such a manner (bags or totes) to eliminate
contamination during subsequent transportation and storage.

No direct link between specific products and production practices associated
with potential cross-contamination can be made in this case. Facilities that
handle prohibited material and manufacture ruminant rations are considered
higher risk and did manufacture products to which the positive animal had
access. The facilities identified in the investigation and which handled
prohibited material, were each supplied exclusively by the same rendering
facility common to previous investigations.

Investigation Overview
The detection of this case does not change any of Canada's BSE risk
parameters. The location and age of the animal are consistent with previous
cases, and the BSE surveillance results to date, including this new case,
still reflect an extremely low level of BSE in Canada. In essence, the case
confirms what was already known about an extremely low level of BSE
infectivity having existed in Canada's feed system during the late 1990's
and early 2000's within a previously determined geographic area and time
interval.

Since the confirmation of BSE in a native-born animal in May 2003, Canada
has significantly increased its targeted testing of cattle in high-risk
categories advocated by the OIE (including animals which die on-farm). This
effort is directed at determining the level of BSE in Canada, while
monitoring the effectiveness of the suite of risk-mitigating measures in
place. Canada's National BSE Surveillance Program continues to demonstrate
an extremely low level of BSE in Canada, with nine positive animals detected
among over 150,000 targeted tests conducted since 2003. Such detections
demonstrate the effectiveness and integrity of Canada's surveillance system;
the level of awareness existing at all levels of the animal and meat
production systems; the value of financial reimbursement provided for
sampling and carcass disposal; and the commitment of Canadian producers and
veterinarians to eliminating this disease. Canada's surveillance program
adheres to OIE guidelines.

The safety of beef produced in Canada is assured by public health measures
enacted in 2003, following the first detection of BSE in a native-born
animal in Canada. The removal of Specified Risk Materials (SRM), those
tissues which have been demonstrated to have the potential to harbour BSE
infectivity, from all animals slaughtered for human consumption is the most
effective single measure to protect consumers in Canada and importing
countries from exposure to BSE infectivity in meat products.

As demonstrated by the surveillance system, the feed ban implemented in 1997
is effectively preventing the amplification of BSE in Canada's feed system.
The detection of BSE in a few animals born after the 1997 feed ban is not
unexpected and does not indicate a failure of those measures. Additional
regulations to enhance Canada's feed ban were announced on June 26, 2006.
The most important change will require the removal of specified risk
material from all animal feeds, pet food and fertilizer. The enhancement
will significantly accelerate progress toward eradicating BSE from the
national cattle herd by preventing more than 99% of potential BSE
infectivity from entering the Canadian feed system and eliminating
opportunities for cross-contamination within the complex system of
production, transportation and storage of animal feeds. For further
information, please see the fact sheet, Canada's Enhanced Feed Ban, at
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/ani ... rene.shtml.


http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/ani ... este.shtml


TSS




----- Original Message -----
From: "Terry S. Singeltary Sr." <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 06, 2007 8:04 PM
Subject: BSE CANADA UPDATE CASE 9


Subject: BSE CANADA UPDATE CASE 9
Date: March 6, 2007 at 5:46 pm PST
Latest Information (as of March 6, 2007 - 16:30 EST)
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) comprehensive investigation of
Canada's latest case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is nearing
completion.
CFIA investigators have confirmed the animal was born in 2000 and was at
least six and a half years old at the time of its death, based on dental
analysis, DNA testing and information provided by the producer.
Information collected through the investigation also indicates the animal
was born and raised on the farm where it was found.
The CFIA has directed all necessary resources toward the tracing of cattle
that may have been exposed to the same feed as the affected animal during
the early part of their lives.
The investigation also includes a thorough examination of the formulation,
production, transportation and storage of a number of feed sources used on
the birth farm at the time.
This case is consistent with our understanding of BSE in North America. The
CFIA has maintained that more cases could be found, especially considering
that we are testing cattle most at risk of having BSE More than 150,000
cattle have been tested since BSE was first detected in 2003.
All of Canada’s cases have been detected through the surveillance program.
These findings provide undisputable proof that our targeted testing regime
is effective and working as intended to closely monitor the health of Canada
’s cattle herd.
Under Canada's enhanced feed ban, which comes into effect on July 12, 2007,
BSE should be eliminated from the national cattle herd within approximately
10 years. The CFIA expects the periodic detection of a limited number of
cases to continue as the level of BSE continues to decline.

http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/ani ... ione.shtml


EXPORTATION AND IMPORTATION OF ANIMALS AND ANIMAL PRODUCTS:
BSE; MRR AND IMPORTATION OF COMMODITIES, 65758-65759 [E6-19042]

http://lists.ifas.ufl.edu/cgi-bin/wa.ex ... T=0&P=3854


http://lists.ifas.ufl.edu/cgi-bin/wa.ex ... T=0&P=3381


http://lists.ifas.ufl.edu/cgi-bin/wa.ex ... &T=0&P=498


http://lists.ifas.ufl.edu/cgi-bin/wa.ex ... =0&P=10277


http://lists.ifas.ufl.edu/cgi-bin/wa.ex ... T=0&P=9972


http://lists.ifas.ufl.edu/cgi-bin/wa.ex ... T=0&P=4492


http://lists.ifas.ufl.edu/cgi-bin/wa.ex ... T=0&P=2583


http://lists.ifas.ufl.edu/cgi-bin/wa.ex ... T=0&P=2470


TSS
 

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