As some may know, I come from a farming background. I grew up on a beef farm and my grandparents
owned a large international animal (primarily dairy cows) exporting
company. I am old enough to remember the
first appearance of Mad Cow in the UK in the late eighties. In fact, I did a research project at
university on BSE after the first case was identified in Canada in 1992 and yes,
I did the project the same year it arrived..... I know firsthand the devastation such
diseases can have on a family's livelihood and a country's economics.
owned a large international animal (primarily dairy cows) exporting
company. I am old enough to remember the
first appearance of Mad Cow in the UK in the late eighties. In fact, I did a research project at
university on BSE after the first case was identified in Canada in 1992 and yes,
I did the project the same year it arrived..... I know firsthand the devastation such
diseases can have on a family's livelihood and a country's economics.
Case in point, in 2003, the announcement of a single case of mad
cow disease undermined the entire Canadian cattle industry. The discovery of a single case of BSE on
May 20th, 2003 immediately slammed the door on export markets for Canadian
beef and cattle. The result, according to Statistics Canada, was a loss of $2.5
billion in exports, causing a loss of $1 billion in labour earnings, and the
loss of 75,000 jobs. In 2003, Canada was
the 3rd largest exporter of beef on a global basis owning 15% of the market. As of 2013, Canada was 6th at 4.6%. The industry has never fully recovered. So it was with much dismay I learned that a
case of Mad Cow had been found in Alberta, the
first case since 2011.
Bovine
Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) or Mad Cow disease as we prefer to call it,
is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy, or TSE, that attacks the central
nervous system of cattle. Other types of TSE include scrapie
in sheep, chronic
wasting disease (CWD) in deer, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD)
in human beings. The cause appears to be associated with a protein called a prion, which is naturally
present in people and animals. Diseases
caused by prions are known as spongiform diseases, because the brain tissue in
infected individuals is filled with holes, giving it a sponge-like appearance.
Although prions are found throughout the brain, the symptoms of spongiform
diseases vary according to the regions they are most concentrated in. There are
currently no effective treatments and no vaccines for spongiform diseases. All are fatal.
Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) or Mad Cow disease as we prefer to call it,
is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy, or TSE, that attacks the central
nervous system of cattle. Other types of TSE include scrapie
in sheep, chronic
wasting disease (CWD) in deer, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD)
in human beings. The cause appears to be associated with a protein called a prion, which is naturally
present in people and animals. Diseases
caused by prions are known as spongiform diseases, because the brain tissue in
infected individuals is filled with holes, giving it a sponge-like appearance.
Although prions are found throughout the brain, the symptoms of spongiform
diseases vary according to the regions they are most concentrated in. There are
currently no effective treatments and no vaccines for spongiform diseases. All are fatal.
Ever since Stanley
Prusiner coined the term prion in 1982 and showed that purified prions can
transmit spongiform disease, skeptics have been trying to prove him wrong. The
idea that a protein can self-replicate goes against everything we know about
transmissible diseases. Even the simplest viruses contain genetic material, DNA
or RNA,that codes for proteins necessary for function and transmission.
Prusiner coined the term prion in 1982 and showed that purified prions can
transmit spongiform disease, skeptics have been trying to prove him wrong. The
idea that a protein can self-replicate goes against everything we know about
transmissible diseases. Even the simplest viruses contain genetic material, DNA
or RNA,that codes for proteins necessary for function and transmission.
Prions cannot be destroyed by boiling, alcohol, acid,
standard autoclaving methods, or radiation. In fact, infected brains that have
been sitting in formaldehyde for decades can still transmit spongiform disease.
Cooking your burger 'til it's well done won't destroy the prions! Unlike bacteria or viruses which are killed
or inactivated via disinfection or cooking, when it comes to prions you can't
kill what isn't alive!
standard autoclaving methods, or radiation. In fact, infected brains that have
been sitting in formaldehyde for decades can still transmit spongiform disease.
Cooking your burger 'til it's well done won't destroy the prions! Unlike bacteria or viruses which are killed
or inactivated via disinfection or cooking, when it comes to prions you can't
kill what isn't alive!
From a safety perspective, at least in Canada feeding
animals other animal protein bi-products such as offal (aka brains, spinal
cords etc) has been banned as a way to limit introduction of TSE infected
materials into the food stream. In 1992,
37,380 cases of BSE were identified in the United Kingdom reaching its peak
with almost 800 new cases a week. With changes in feed programs and banning
cows >30 months to be used for human consumption the cases of BSE in the UK
dropped to 1,144 by 2002. In Canada it was 10 years between our first
and second case and 4 years since our last case. TSE's are a fact of life and have been dating
back to the early 1700's, but they are now sporadic in nature and have never
stopped me from enjoying a perfectly BBQ'd T-bone!
animals other animal protein bi-products such as offal (aka brains, spinal
cords etc) has been banned as a way to limit introduction of TSE infected
materials into the food stream. In 1992,
37,380 cases of BSE were identified in the United Kingdom reaching its peak
with almost 800 new cases a week. With changes in feed programs and banning
cows >30 months to be used for human consumption the cases of BSE in the UK
dropped to 1,144 by 2002. In Canada it was 10 years between our first
and second case and 4 years since our last case. TSE's are a fact of life and have been dating
back to the early 1700's, but they are now sporadic in nature and have never
stopped me from enjoying a perfectly BBQ'd T-bone!
Bugging Off!
Nicole
