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Fast Facts
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Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is a chronic, degenerative disorder affecting the central nervous system of cattle.
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BSE was first diagnosed in 1986 in Great Britain.
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About 95 percent of cases have occurred in the United Kingdom. |
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The incubation period for BSE is up to 8 years in cattle. |
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BSE is believed to be transmittable through meat, blood and body tissues, by prions which are infectious proteins |
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Using rendered animal protein to feed cattle (animal cannibalism) is a common industry practice in the US and other countries. |
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In England, animal cannibalism was banned in 1988. |
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On June 5, 1997, US banned feeding rendered cattle and sheep back to ruminant animals, but did not pass regulations on feeding chickens, pigs etc. |
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A single teaspoon of ingested high infectivity meat and bone meal is thought to be enough to cause BSE in a cow, the medical journal The Lancet reported in 1996. |
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Tuesday, May 20 Canada announced that one cattle in Alberta tested positive for BSE. |
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Last year, the U.S. imported 1.7 million head of Canadian cattle--511,000 from Alberta alone--and 373,000 tons of beef products valued at $2.5 billion. Over 70 percent of the beef product imports were “fresh-chilled” boneless cuts used largely in U.S.-processed ground beef. |
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US announced an immediate ban on Canadian imports, but it will not test the cattle that were imported prior to the ban.
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) |
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD)
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CJD and related Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs) may be transmitted to humans through exposure to contaminated human growth hormone, corneal transplants, use of dura mater in transplants, the use of infected probes and possibly through blood. |
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CJD emerges as holes and amyloid plaque material spreading in the brain, causing symptoms of dementia which routinely appear to be Alzheimer's Disease, physical failure and death. |
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