Posted on 06/25/2005 9:34:39 AM PDT by neverdem
Substantial changes in the nation's mad cow testing system were ordered yesterday after British tests on a cow slaughtered in November confirmed that it had the disease even though the American "gold standard" test said it did not.
"The protocol we developed just a few years ago to conduct the tests might not be the best option today," Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns said in making the announcement. "Science is ever evolving."
At an afternoon news conference in Washington, Mr. Johanns described serious errors in the testing in the United States on the animal, the second one found with mad cow disease, formally known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
But he also defended the safety of American beef, reminding reporters that the animal had been incinerated rather than being ground into hamburger, as the first one was in late 2003.
"I enjoyed beef this noon for lunch," Mr. Johanns said. "It is the safest beef in the world."
The head of the testing laboratory in Weybridge, England, who joined the news conference by telephone, said he was "pretty confident" that the incidence of mad cow disease in American herds was "very little indeed."
Of 388,000 tests in the last year, only three positive rapid tests have been found, and only this one has been confirmed.
Until yesterday, the Agriculture Department used a rapid test called an Elisa and confirmed any positives with a slower immunohistochemistry test, which it calls the "gold standard."
The Europeans and the Japanese use those tests, but routinely add a confirmatory Western blot test, which is more sensitive.
The Agriculture Department asked the English laboratory, regarded as one of the world's best, to retest the samples.
In response to questions, Dr. John Clifford, the Agriculture Department's chief veterinarian, revealed another surprise...
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
What are the substantial changes?
"Until yesterday, the Agriculture Department used a rapid test called an Elisa and confirmed any positives with a slower immunohistochemistry test, which it calls the "gold standard."
"The Europeans and the Japanese use those tests, but routinely add a confirmatory Western blot test, which is more sensitive."
They added doing the Western Blot, the same technique they use to confirm antibodies for HIV. I believe the immunohistochemistry test didn't work because it uses antibodies specific to single versions of the Canadian strain of these prions, as opposed to the French strain which this cow was found to have.
French strain, huh?
Thanks for providing the added details.
I think we should do what Japan is doing, and just test all cattle when they are slaughtered. It's not that expensive, and it will end this problem before it have has a chance to grow big enough to cost a lot of money to eradicate.
Snow ... Totally agree with your comments.
Given that the cows can have the disease for several years before the symptoms are obvious, how else can the beef industry be safe enough for us to eat beef?
It is a tragic disease and if in three or four years or more many people show symptoms of BSE (entirely feasible) we are in a heap of trouble.
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