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Discovery
of BSE in Canada |
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Background On May 16th, 2003 Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (AAFRD) tested the cow’s brain for BSE as part of its surveillance program. After preliminary test results indicated the presence of BSE, CFIA officials were notified. During the next two days extensive further testing was performed by CFIA and by experts in the United Kingdom. Test results from the UK were confirmed positive on May 20th, 2003. The case farm was placed under quarantine on May 18th by CFIA. An investigation was initiated to trace the origin of the cow, its movement throughout its life, and the method in which its remains were processed. The remaining 150 cattle in the herd have been euthanized and are being tested for the presence of the disease. CFIA officials have also traced the movement of 211 calves from the original herd and have quarantined the feedlots where they were sent. The investigation is ongoing. The investigation has shown that regulations governing the processing and rendering of the remains of the infected animal have been followed. CFIA officials maintain that Canadian beef products are safe and that the discovery of BSE in this cow poses little risk to human health. Cause
of BSE Although the cause of BSE is unknown, scientists believe that the disease is transmitted to cattle through meat and bone meal containing material from infected cattle. In 1997, Canada banned the feeding of rendered products from ruminants back to other ruminants (cattle, sheep, goats, deer and elk). BSE has also been linked to its human counterpart, variant Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease (CJD). Effects
on International Trade Effects of the BSE crisis on the Canadian Sheep Industry Border
Closing The Canadian Sheep Federation fundamentally disagrees with the inclusion of sheep and lamb under the ban. Industry representatives recognize that although scrapie in sheep is also a TSE, the scope of the current issue is limited to only BSE. Sheep do not transmit BSE to cattle or other ruminants, nor can they transmit scrapie to cattle through ruminant feed or other means. Furthermore, CFIA implemented a scrapie control program in 1945, which prohibits suspect infected animals from entering the human food chain. Scrapie, however, is not a human health risk. We feel confident, therefore, that Canadian sheep and lamb pose no risk to human health in the US and should be excluded from the current import ban. Compensation Media
During the outbreak of BSE in the United Kingdom in the mid-1980s, scientist John Wilesmith theorized that the cattle contracted the disease by consuming meat and bone meal containing remains of sheep infected with scrapie. There was, however, no scientific evidence to support this theory and the British BSE Inquiry subsequently discounted it as "fallacious". Conclusive scientific evidence showed that BSE was transmitted to cattle through meat and bone meal infected with material from other cattle infected with the same disease. (British BSE Inquiry, Volume 1: Findings and Conclusions). This theory is still held today. The Canadian Sheep Federation has designated Mr. Jonathan Wort, Chair of its Animal Health Committee and President of the Canadian Sheep Breeders Association, as the media spokesperson on the BSE issue to ensure the consistency and accuracy of information communicated to the public through the media. We believe that it is important to ensure that consumer perception of the quality and safety of Canadian sheep and lamb is not jeopardized by media attempts to link scrapie in sheep to BSE in cattle. Support
for the Canadian Cattle Industry The Canadian beef industry has achieved domestic and international recognition for quality and safety, and continues to set standards that meet the highest expectations of consumers. We believe that it will remain the world’s leading supplier of beef and will continue to contribute significantly to Canada’s reputation as a world leader in agriculture.
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