Mad Cow

The United States Department of Agriculture says there are no plans to expand a beef recall.

This comes as eight states and the territory of Guam scramble to find meat that may have been processed along with a cow infected with Mad Cow disease.

Health officials still don't believe there is a risk to consumers following the Mad Cow case.

The Michigan Beef Industry Commission says about two dozen countries have closed their borders to livestock. This decision means there will be a larger supply of meat in the states.

Good news for consumers, bad news for beef producers. The beef producers will take a price hit, while consumers will see lower prices at retailers and the grocery store.

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What Is Mad Cow Disease?

• Mad cow, also known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), is a disease found in cattle. Found in humans it is named Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (VCJD).

What is Mad cow (BSE)?

• Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is a progressive neurological disorder.

• The disease can be transmitted between cattle when infected meat is digested by the animal.

• The disease has now cure in cattle.

Transmission to Humans

• Although the risk is very small, humans can contract the disease, which is known as VCJD.

• The disease is fatal and causes brain disorders with unusually long incubation periods measured in years.

• From 1995 through June 2002, a total of 124 human cases of VCJD were reported in the United Kingdom, 6 cases in France, and 1 case each in Ireland, Italy, and the United States. The case-patients from Ireland and the United States had each lived in the United Kingdom for more than 5 years.

• Milk and milk products from cows are not believed to pose any risk for transmitting the BSE agent.

• Staying alert to U.S. government warnings during times of outbreak is very important. The U.S. government will say if avoiding beef all together is necessary.

• Selecting beef, such as solid pieces of muscle meat (versus calf brains or beef products such as burgers and sausages), which might have a reduced opportunity for contamination with tissues that may harbor the BSE agent.

Symptoms of VCJD

• The duration of CJD from the onset of symptoms to the inevitable death is usually one year; however, shorter duration periods of several months are common, and longer duration periods of two or more years have been noted.

• The initial stage of the disease can be subtle with ambiguous symptoms of:
  
  • Insomnia
    
  • Depression
    
  • Confusion
    
  • Personality and behavioral changes
    
  • Strange physical sensations
    
  • Problems with memory, coordination and sight

• As the disease advances, the patient experiences a rapidly, progressive dementia and in most cases, involuntary and irregular jerking movements known as myoclonus.

• Problems with language, sight, muscular weakness, and coordination worsen. The patient may appear startled and become rigid.

• In the final stage of the disease, the patient loses all mental and physical functions. The patient may lapse into a coma and usually dies from an infection like pneumonia precipitated by the bedridden, unconscious state.

Sources: http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/fact/cjd.htm (The Center for Disease Control Web site) and http://cjdfoundation.org/CJDInfo.html (The Creutxfeldt-Jakob Disease Foundation Web site)