MAD COW DISEASE!!

[Stratos]

Originally posted by Larry_OHF: Another problem is where the government is trying to assure people that you cannot get sick from the muscles...that only the brain and spinal column, including the nerves are infectuous. But there is one scientist in this country trying to warn people of the danger of making that assumption and he is also saying that every cow could be tested before killing that would only increase the cost of beef a few cents.

That's exactly what we Europeans was told as well when BSE was all over the news over here, but the problem with this is that it only requires a teeny-weeny bit of bone marrow to end up on the meat to spoil it. This can easily happen during the slaughter and cutting-up of the animal.

[Timber Loftis]

Let's start disseminating good info on this topic, as misunderstandings abound. PETA says this, which seems factually accurate if incredibly biased (I trimmed out a lot of the preaching):
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What Is Mad Cow Disease?

BSE is caused by malformed proteins called prions. Researchers have traced recent outbreaks of the disease to farmers’ cost-cutting practice of mixing bits of dead sheep’s neural tissue into the feed of cows, who are naturally herbivorous. If cows eat the brains of other cows who already have BSE or of sheep suffering from a sheep disease called scrapie, the animals can develop mad cow disease. When people eat the infected cattle, they could develop the human version of the disease, new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (nvCJD). Millions of cattle suspected of being infected with BSE in England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Belgium, Italy, and other countries have been slaughtered.

Whether it strikes cattle or people, mad cow disease is always fatal. There is no treatment. The disease eats holes in the brain. In humans, it initially causes memory loss and erratic behavior, and over a period of months, its victims gradually lose all ability to care for themselves or communicate, and eventually, they die. So far, more than 120 people in Europe have died from nvCJD.

Doesn’t the government protect the meat supply?

Because the infected cow was raised for dairy production, she had lived long enough to show symptoms of the disease. Most cows are killed before they turn 2 years old, and before they become symptomatic; no one would know whether they were infected with spongy brain disease. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) admits that it only tested about 20,000 cows for BSE last year—a statistically insignificant percentage of the approximately 40 million cows slaughtered annually.

The dangerous practice of feeding sheep and even cows to other cows was not banned in the U.S. and Canada until 1997, and the U.S. government said that as recently as 2001, there was widespread violation of the feeding regulation. It is still legal to feed sheep and cows to pigs and chickens and to feed pigs and chickens to one another and to cows, even though these practices have been banned in Europe, and no one can be sure that they won’t also prove to be deadly.

Other forms of brain encephalopathies have been found in North America. In May, an 8-year-old cow on a dairy farm in Alberta, Canada, was found to have BSE. Two years ago, 200 sheep raised for dairy on a Vermont farm were killed on suspicion that they were infected with their species’ equivalent of mad cow disease. Chronic wasting disease, a similar condition, is widespread in deer and elk in Western Canada and the U.S. and is suspected of infecting hunters who may have eaten meat from sick animals.

Since brain encephalopathies have been found in cats, dogs, sheep, mink, deer, and elk, as well as in cows and people, you may not be protecting yourself by avoiding beef alone.
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www.peta.org

Az [img]smile.gif[/img] I agreed with you dude. And I see Pritchke was wrong, the market closed up almost 20 points...so no major crash so far.

I'll let you all worry about Prions and Mad cow disease. The facts still stand that nearly no humans on the face of the earth have been affected (physically, finacially is another story). The issue is well understood now (apparently the whole issue is don't feed the left overs back to the stock) and as TL pointed out. Lost $$$ in exports will wake the dumbasses up and make them change their ways.

Untill a fraction of a small portion of 1% of the people eating meat are affected, It is not worth going on a crusade about it. I have other things to worry about that have a far larger chance of actually occuring. Personally I don't have the energy to crusade about every issue that comes up. I think that is why we have a FDA and a ADA....and if they are found criminally negligent..I rely on people like TL to sue their asses off. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[wellard]

Originally posted by MagiK: The issue is well understood now (apparently the whole issue is don't feed the left overs back to the stock) The issue is that they knew about this problem years ago MagiK, years before it caused headlines in Britain, yet they buried there heads in the sand, continued using an ethically disgusting farming practice, put peoples lives and livelihood on the line, all to make a few cents. And as TL pointed out. Lost $$$ in exports will wake the dumbasses up and make them change their ways. The dollar cost if there is an outbreak will be beyond the reach of farmers and business, this my friend is coming out of your taxes I guarantee And if they are found criminally negligent..I rely on people like TL to sue their asses off. I prefer the stop the problem before it starts and learn from other peoples bad experience rather than mop up after the event approach. It saves money and lives.

Actually Wellard, the US had already banned that ehticly disgusting practice. As for it being "ethicly disgusting" umm how so?? It wasn't known to cause harm and gaurenteed a more efficient less wasteful use of the animals.....Trying to better use a resource more efficiently sounds ethical to me....

[Timber Loftis]

Feeding meat to an herbivore is unethical. And, we see the results of going against nature. How'd you like ground up bits of human sneaked into your food?

[LordKathen]

Originally posted by Timber Loftis: Feeding meat to an herbivore is unethical. And, we see the results of going against nature. How'd you like ground up bits of human sneaked into your food?

You hit it right on the head as usual Timber. Being unethical is obvious. The more important point is that it is un-natural. "Couse and affect" people.

[ 12-29-2003, 10:15 AM: Message edited by: LordKathen ]

Sorry still do not see an "ethical" issue here (at least not while there were no known bad effects) It only becomes an ethical issue once it is known that there are or possibly are bad effects cused by the practice. Feeding meat to herbivores is...weird in my opinion, but not unethical..untill there are known potential side effects. The addage "Waste not Want not" comes to mind. The whole reason it was started was because there was a precieved innefficiency and thus a loss of profit. and no matter what you do in life it is all about profit and loss.....it may not be money...but that equation is still there.

Do I want them to stop feeding herbivores meat? I do now that we know it has side effects. But you know...the polio vaccine kills a certain number of people each year......should we stop administering polio vaccine?? I think not.

(ok you may think I wnet off on a tangent there...but Ill tie it in for ya) Just because a certain number of people die each year does not mean that a practice is not efficatious and responsible.....we banned DDT because of the effects it had on SOME birds eggs.....now it is estimated that 30,000 - 60,000 people a year die from Malaria and its side effects all for the want of a cheap effective remedy.

[Azimaith]

Originally posted by MagiK: Actually Wellard, the US had already banned that ehticly disgusting practice. As for it being "ethicly disgusting" umm how so?? It wasn't known to cause harm and gaurenteed a more efficient less wasteful use of the animals.....Trying to better use a resource more efficiently sounds ethical to me....

Would you also agree with feeding prisoners the ground up remains of their former inmates when they died or were executed? Your feeding a cow the ground up remains of another cow, not only is it canabalism but cows happen to be herbivores which makes it worse.

Originally posted by Azimaith: Would you also agree with feeding prisoners the ground up remains of their former inmates when they died or were executed? Your feeding a cow the ground up remains of another cow, not only is it canabalism but cows happen to be herbivores which makes it worse.

Actually not a new idea...look up "Soylent Green" in a google search..

And you Do NOT even want to know what I think prison conditions should be like, what you suggest would be the least of their worries.

Edit: just thought I would say, hello to you Az since you don't know me [img]smile.gif[/img] Im the resident hard ass, conservative, mean spirited, stubborn, Right Wing person who thinks PETA stands for People for the Eating of Tasty Animals ;D

While my post count appears low...I have been here a long time.


[ 12-30-2003, 10:54 PM: Message edited by: MagiK ]