Specific Disease Frequently Asked Questions |
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)
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What is bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)? |
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Is BSE occurring in the United States? |
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Is BSE a foodborne hazard in the United States? |
What is bovine spongiform encephalopathy
(BSE)?
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is a progressive neurological disorder
of cattle that results from infection by an unconventional transmissible
agent.
The nature of the transmissible agent is unknown. Currently, the most accepted theory is that the agent is a modified form of a prion protein.
Through the end of November 2003, more than 183,000 cases of BSE were confirmed in the United Kingdom alone in more than 35,000 herds.
Is BSE occurring in the United
States?
On December 23, 2003, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced
a presumptive diagnosis of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, or "mad
cow" disease) in an adult Holstein cow from Washington State. Samples
were taken from the cow on December 9 as part of USDA's BSE surveillance
program. The BSE diagnosis was made on December 22 and 23 by histopathology
and immunohistochemical testing at the National Veterinary Services Laboratory,
Ames, Iowa. Final confirmatory testing is pending at an international
reference laboratory in England.
USDA has launched an epidemiologic investigation to determine the source of the disease. Preliminary investigations indicate that beef from the slaughtered cow has been prepared for human consumption. Beef products are being recalled from establishments that may have received these products.
To prevent BSE from entering the United States, severe restrictions were placed on the importation of live ruminants and certain ruminant products from countries where BSE was known to exist. These restrictions were later extended to include importation of ruminants and certain ruminant products from all European countries, Japan, and Israel.
Is BSE a foodborne hazard in
the United States?
Strong evidence indicates that BSE has been transmitted to humans primarily
in the United Kingdom, causing a variant form of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
(vCJD). In the United Kingdom, where over 1 million cattle may have been
infected with BSE, a substantial species barrier appears to protect humans
from widespread illness. As of December 1, 2003, a total of 153 vCJD cases
had been reported worldwide; of these, 143 cases had occurred in the United
Kingdom. The risk to human health from BSE in the United States is extremely
low.