U.S. Food Supply Not Threatened by Suspected BSE Case, Officials Say

MANHATTAN, Kan. ˆ News of an inconclusive test result for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a cow that is possibly of U.S. origin will likely cause an economic dive in the U.S. beef industry over the next few days, but state and national officials remain
confident that consumer beef is just fine.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced late Friday that a single U.S. cow is suspected of carrying the cattle brain-wasting disease.

U.S. officials have not yet confirmed that the cow actually has the disease. One of the country‚s 12 veterinary diagnostic labs detected an "inconclusive BSE test... received on a rapid screening test used as part of (the United States‚) enhanced surveillance program,"
according to a statement from USDA‚s Deputy Administrator John Clifford.

"The inconclusive result does not mean we have found another case of BSE in this country," Clifford said, referring to the country‚s first BSE case in a Canadian Holstein found in Washington state last December. "Inconclusive results are a normal component of most
screening tests, which are designed to be extremely sensitive so they will detect any sample that could possibly be positive."

Until the cow is confirmed to be positive for BSE, USDA will not announce the particular species of the cow (dairy or beef), its age or the site where the cow was located. A more sophisticated test for the disease is being conducted at the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, using tissue from the suspect cow. Results are expected within four to seven days, officials said.

In the meantime, Larry Hollis, a beef veterinarian with Kansas State University Research and Extension, is urging consumers to stay calm. "Because of the way we are harvesting cattle in this country and since (USDA Secretary Ann) Veneman put new steps in place last Dec. 30, we don‚t have anything to worry about, because we know that our beef is safe to eat," Hollis said.

Veneman‚s move late last year prohibited the presence of so-called "downer" cattle and the use of specified risk material ˆ or SRMs ˆ in the food supply. SRMs include tissue with a nervous system component, such as the spinal cord or brain, which could carry the disease and cause the human form of BSE, if eaten.

Hollis noted that even if the additional test on the suspect cow turns up positive, "it's still not going to change whether there's a risk to eating beef, because we've already taken care of that."

Terry Stokes, chief executive officer for the National Cattleman's Beef Association, echoed Hollis' thoughts. "Because of strong regulations to protect consumers," he said, "the
animal being tested has not entered the food supply."

Stokes also praised USDA for remaining committed to carrying out its nationwide BSE surveillance program in an open manner.

"USDA's decision to announce this inconclusive result at this time shows a commitment to transparency, which is intended to help avoid speculative rumors and uncertainty in the cattle market between now and when results are confirmed," he said in a statement.

Hollis and others are expressing concern, though, that cattle producers are likely to feel the effects of another suspected U.S. case of BSE.

"Until everyone knows where the animal came from and what type of animal (it is), this will have an impact on the markets," he said.

"It could be limit-down until we get the answer."

While many foreign countries had returned to buying U.S. beef since last December, one that had not was Japan, which imported $1.4 billion of U.S. beef products in 2003. Hollis said signs had been good that the two countries were going to re-establish beef trade
soon.

Rapid screening tests are the first step in USDA's enhanced surveillance system. Athough rapid tests are more sensitive and, thus, more susceptible to false-positives, the system will help U.S. officials test nearly one-quarter million cattle this year alone.

USDA's Stokes told reporters Friday that rapid tests can help scientists find the disease even if it occurs in as few as 1 in 10 million adult cattle.

Rapid tests are performed at any of the 12 regional diagnostic labs in the United States, one of which is at Kansas State University. In a move similar to their protecting the information on the age and species of the suspect cow, government officials would not disclose which of the 12 regional laboratories conducted the initial test.

The U.S. government began using rapid screening tests June 1 as part of a program to test more American cattle.