Journal Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A Volume 79,
2016 - Issue 16-17 Prion Research in Perspective IV
Volume 79, 2016 - Issue 16-17
Prion Research in Perspective IV
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editorial
Preface—Prion research in perspective IV
Neil Cashman, Shalu Darshan & Michael G. Tyshenko
Page 675-676 | Published online: 24 Aug 2016
“Prion Research in Perspective IV” is PrioNet Canada’s fourth open paper
call and maintains its mandate allowing PrioNet Canada researchers, the Alberta
Prion Research Institute, and other partner organizations a venue to publish
their latest research.
The lead papers deal with stochastic models that estimate previous and
future prion disease epidemics in Canada. Various risk models have been
developed to estimate the number of animals incubating the disease, including
bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)-infected animals undetected by
surveillance systems in several BSE-affected countries. The first article, by
Oraby et al., presents a stochastic model to estimate the risk of BSE in Canada
from importation of cattle and meat and bone meal (MBM) from high-risk
countries. The model simulates the amount of imported infectivity, as well as
its recycling and propagation through rendering and feeding processes. The model
is used to develop a distribution of the yearly number of newly infected animals
(infection incident) and the yearly cumulative number of infected cattle
(prevalent cases), as well as the yearly number of cattle slaughtered for human
consumption. Scenario analysis is used to investigate the sensitivity of the
model predictions of the BSE risk in Canada to the choice of model
parameters.
The second article, by Al-Arydah et al., looks at the application of
mathematical modeling to manage chronic wasting disease (CWD) in wild cervids
under alternative harvesting scenarios.
The third article, by Al-Zoughool et al., presents a different model that
uses a Bayesian back-calculation method to estimate the risk of BSE in Canada
during the time period from 1996–2011.
The forward projection models for BSE and especially CWD provide those
managing the outbreaks to explore different management options, response
scenarios, and mixes. The use of expert opinion in this regard is vitally
important. The fourth article, by Oraby et al., and the fifth article, by
Tyshenko et al., investigate the use of expert opinion for prion disease
management options. Oraby et al. use three different expert opinion exercises
(1, expert views of the most likely scenarios for the evolution of the CWD among
cervid populations in Canada; 2, ranking analyses of the importance of direct
and indirect transmission routes; and 3, rating analyses of the CWD control
measures in farmed and wild cervids).
In the fifth article, Tyshenko et al. use a formalized expert elicitation
exercise with target questions to help structure the issues surrounding CWD
transmission and hence provide a rational basis for estimating some the risk
factors for which evidence is currently lacking. Uncertainties for many
transmission issues surrounding CWD were determined to be large by the expert
group highlighting areas requiring more research. The elicited values can be
used as surrogate values for management purposes until research evidence becomes
available.
The sixth and seventh articles from Dr. Goddard’s research group
(University of Alberta) investigate the economic impacts of prion disease. The
sixth article, by Muringai and Goddard, considers the long-term impacts of BSE
on beef risk perceptions and risk attitudes in Canada. Even though the first
domestic case of BSE was reported in the year 2003, the authors found that
concerns about BSE were still lingering and contributing to consumers’ risk
perceptions about consuming beef several years later.
The seventh and final article, by Chiu et al., investigates CWD and caribou
consumption in northern Canadian communities. The authors conclude with a
warning that although CWD is not currently a threat to caribou populations,
management efforts to minimize the spread of the transmissible spongiform
encephalopathies in wild deer populations should be pursued to reduce the chance
of prion disease transmission to caribou populations. CWD in caribou could have
significant regional socioeconomic impacts in terms of aggregate food supply
available to northern communities.
Collectively, the articles in this fourth and final volume once again
showcase the excellent caliber of research funded and supported by PrioNet
Canada.
Volume 79, 2016 - Issue 16-17
Prion Research in Perspective IV
research article
A stochastic model of the bovine spongiform encephalopathy epidemic in
Canada
Tamer Oraby, Mustafa Al-Zoughool, Susie Elsaadany & Daniel Krewski
Page 677-689 | Published online: 24 Aug 2016
ABSTRACT
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) appeared in the United Kingdom in
the mid 1980s, and has been attributed to the use of meat and bone meal (MBM) in
cattle feed contaminated with a scrapie-like agent. Import of infectious
materials from a country where BSE has occurred is believed to be the major
factor underlying the spread of the BSE epidemic to other countries. This study
presents a new stochastic model developed to estimate risk of BSE from
importation of cattle infected with the BSE agent. The model describes the
propagation of the BSE agent through the Canadian cattle herd through rendering
and feeding processes, following importation of cattle with infectious prions.
This model was used estimate the annual number of newly infected animals each
year over the period 1980–2019. Model predictions suggested that the number of
BSE infections in Canada might have been approximately 40-fold greater than the
actual number of clinically diagnosed cases. Under complete compliance with the
2007 ban on feeding MBM, this model further predicts that BSE is disappearing
from the Canadian cattle system. A series of sensitivity analyses was also
conducted to test the robustness of model predictions to alternative assumptions
about factors affecting the evolution of the Canadian BSE epidemic.
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be0ef6915d1b2200a248b7195d01ef22 research article Long-term impacts of bovine
spongiform encephalopathy on beef risk perceptions and risk attitudes in Canada
Violet Muringai Department of Resource Economics and Environmental Sociology,
University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada & Ellen Goddard Department
of Resource Economics and Environmental Sociology, University of Alberta,
Edmonton, Alberta, CanadaCorrespondenceellen.goddard@ualberta.ca Page 746-761 |
Published online: 24 Aug 2016 Page 746-761 Published online: 24 Aug 2016
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/doi/full/10.1080/15287394.2016.1174008?needAccess=true ABSTRACT ABSTRACT
In this study, the objective was to examine whether or not changes in
bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) concerns exert an effect on people’s risk
perceptions and risk attitudes regarding consuming beef in Canada, 8 years after
finding the first domestic animal with BSE. Data were collected from two surveys
(2071 respondents) conducted with the same respondents in 2008 and 2011 in
Canada. Data on meat consumption for the same households were also available
from the Nielsen Homescan panel over the period 2002 to 2009. Based on census
data, the current sample is generally not representative of the Canadian
population, but the sample is unique in that the same individuals responded to
two surveys and there is an ability to track their evolving household purchases
of beef before the first survey and between the two surveys. In essence,
alterations in beef risk perceptions are significantly influenced by changes in
concerns regarding (1) feed given to livestock, (2) animal diseases and BSE, (3)
trust in manufacturers, the government, and farmers, and (4) demographic
characteristics. There were significant differences in beef purchases across
households, with alterations to their risk perceptions and risk attitudes. In
conclusion, although the first domestic incident of BSE was in 2003, concerns
regarding BSE are still contributing to consumers’ risk perceptions but not to
their risk attitudes with respect to consumption of beef in 2011.
Volume 79, 2016 - Issue 16-17
Prion Research in Perspective IV
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research article
Applications of mathematical modeling in managing the spread of chronic
wasting disease (CWD) in wild deer under alternative harvesting scenarios
M. Al-arydah, M. C. Croteau, T. Oraby, R. J. Smith? & D. Krewski
Page 690-699 | Published online: 24 Aug 2016
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be0ef6915d1b2200a248b7195d01ef22 research article A Bayesian back-calculation
method to estimate the risk of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in Canada
during the period 1996–2011 Mustafa Al-Zoughool Department of Community and
Environmental Health, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences,
Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondencezoughoolm@ksau-hs.edu.sa, Tamer Oraby School
of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley,
Edinburg, Texas, USA & Daniel Krewski McLaughlin Center for Population
Health Risk Assessment, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada Page 700-712 |
Published online: 24 Aug 2016 Page 700-712 Published online: 24 Aug 2016
Metrics Reprints & Permissions Get access
/doi/full/10.1080/15287394.2016.1174004?needAccess=true ABSTRACT ABSTRACT
Seventeen typical cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) were
detected in Canada the period of 2003-2011. The clinical incidence of BSE was
censored by early slaughter, death, or exportation of infected cattle due to the
long incubation period of BSE disease. The aim of this study was to estimate the
infection incidence of BSE in birth cohorts during 1996–2004 and project
infection frequency through to 2007. An estimate of the number of asymptomatic
infected cattle slaughtered for human consumption is also provided. The number
of incident, asymptomatic cases was assumed to follow a Poisson process. A
Bayesian back-calculation approach was used to project the risk of contracting
BSE in those birth cohorts. Model parameters and inputs were taken from
scientific literature and governmental data sources. The projected number of
infected cattle in birth cohorts spanning the period 1996–2007 was 492, with
median 95% credible interval 258–830. If the requirement to remove specified
risk material (SRM) from cattle prior to entering the food chain was not in
place, the predicted number of slaughtered infected in the human food chain from
1996–2010 was 298, with a 95% credible interval 156–500. The magnitude of the
BSE epidemic in Canada for 1996–2007 birth cohorts was estimated to be
approximately 28-fold higher than the number of clinical cases detected through
to October 2011. Although some of those cattle were slaughtered for human
consumption, the requirement of SRM removal may have prevented most of the
infectious material from entering the food chain.
ABSTRACT
The application of a recently developed mathematical model for predicting
the spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in wild deer was assessed under
different scenarios where harvesting is employed in disease management. A
process-based mathematical model for CWD transmission in wild deer populations
was recently developed and parameterized by Al-arydah et al. (2011) to provide a
scientific basis for understanding the factors that affect spread of CWD and
evaluate concomitant disease-control strategies. The impact of gender on CWD
transmission was shown to have a significant influence on the spread of the
disease in the wild. Our model demonstrates a range of harvesting rates in which
CWD is controlled and deer populations survive. However, if harvesting rates are
too low, the disease remains endemic for decades. Conversely, the Canadian deer
population is eradicated if harvesting rates are excessive. Future investigation
includes building the model to assess the spread of CWD under different
disease-management scenarios.
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be0ef6915d1b2200a248b7195d01ef22 research article Expert elicitation on the
uncertainties associated with chronic wasting disease Michael G. Tyshenko
McLaughlin Centre for Population Health Risk Assessment, Institute of Population
Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario,
CanadaCorrespondencemtyshenk@uottawa.ca, Tamer Oraby Department of Mathematics,
University of Texas-Pan American, Edinburg, Texas, USA, Shalu Darshan McLaughlin
Centre for Population Health Risk Assessment, Institute of Population Health,
University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Margit Westphal McLaughlin Centre
for Population Health Risk Assessment, Institute of Population Health,
University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Maxine C. Croteau McLaughlin
Centre for Population Health Risk Assessment, Institute of Population Health,
University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Willy Aspinall Aspinall and
Associates, Tisbury, United Kingdom School of Earth Sciences and Cabot
Institute, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom, Susie Elsaadany
Professional Guidelines and Public Health Practice Division, Centre for
Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Public Health Agency of Canada,
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Daniel Krewski McLaughlin Centre for Population Health
Risk Assessment, Institute of Population Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa,
Ontario, Canada Department of Epidemiology and Community Medicine, University of
Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada & Neil Cashman Brain Research Centre,
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Page 729-745
| Published online: 24 Aug 2016 Page 729-745 Published online: 24 Aug 2016
Metrics Reprints & Permissions Get access
/doi/full/10.1080/15287394.2016.1174007?needAccess=true ABSTRACT ABSTRACT
A high degree of uncertainty exists for chronic wasting disease (CWD)
transmission factors in farmed and wild cervids. Evaluating the factors is
important as it helps to inform future risk management strategies. Expert
opinion is often used to assist decision making in a number of health, science,
and technology domains where data may be sparse or missing. Using the “Classical
Model” of elicitation, a group of experts was asked to estimate the most likely
values for several risk factors affecting CWD transmission. The formalized
expert elicitation helped structure the issues and hence provide a rational
basis for estimating some transmission risk factors for which evidence is
lacking. Considered judgments regarding environmental transmission, latency of
CWD transmission, management, and species barrier were provided by the experts.
Uncertainties for many items were determined to be large, highlighting areas
requiring more research. The elicited values may be used as surrogate values
until research evidence becomes available.
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be0ef6915d1b2200a248b7195d01ef22 research article Caribou consumption in
northern Canadian communities Angie Chiu Department of Resource Economics &
Environmental Sociology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Ellen
Goddard Department of Resource Economics & Environmental Sociology,
University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta,
CanadaCorrespondenceellen.goddard@ualberta.ca & Brenda Parlee Department of
Resource Economics & Environmental Sociology/Faculty of Native Studies,
University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Page 762-797 | Published
online: 24 Aug 2016 Page 762-797 Published online: 24 Aug 2016
Metrics Reprints & Permissions Get access
/doi/full/10.1080/15287394.2016.1174011?needAccess=true ABSTRACT ABSTRACT
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy
(TSE) found in both farmed and wild deer, elk, and moose in the United States
and Canada. Surveillance efforts in North America identified the geographical
distribution of the disease and mechanisms underlying distribution, although the
possibility of transmission to other cervids, including caribou, and noncervids,
including humans, is not well understood. Because of the documented importance
of caribou (Rangifer tarandus) to human populations in the northern regions of
Canada, a risk-management strategy for CWD requires an understanding of the
extent of potential dietary exposure to CWD. Secondary 24-h dietary recalls
conducted among Inuvialuit and Inuit in 4 communities in the Northwest
Territories and Nunavut were employed in this study. Econometric demand systems
were estimated to model the impacts of individual- and community-level
socioeconomic characteristics on expenditures on caribou and other foods, in
order to examine the households’ ability to consume other foods in response to
changing levels of caribou consumption. Thirty-five percent of respondents
reported consuming caribou in the survey period, and caribou comprised, on
average, 26% of daily dietary intake by weight, or approximately 65 g/d, across
individuals in the 4 communities. Consuming caribou was also shown to exert
positive impacts on dietary quality, as measured by calorie intake and dietary
diversity. Communities with less access to employment, income and food stores
are predicted to be constrained in their ability to obtain an adequate diet in
the event of scarcity of caribou meat.
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it * = BOOooo~tss
HOW TO FORCE FEED BSE TSE PRION AKA MAD COW TYPE DISEASE TO THE WORLD USDA
FAS CFIA OIE
Date: 10/10/2003 GAIN Report Number: CA3065 CA3065 Canada Agricultural
Situation This Week in Canadian Agriculture, Issue 37 2003 Approved by: Gary
Groves U.S. Embassy Prepared by: Geroge Myles, Matthew Cahoon
snip...
GAIN Report - CA3065 Page 2 of 6
UNCLASSIFIED USDA Foreign Agricultural Service
This Week in Canadian Agriculture is a weekly review of Canadian
agricultural industry developments of interest to the U.S. agricultural
community. The issues summarized in this report cover a wide range of subject
matter obtained from Canadian press reports, government press releases, and host
country agricultural officials and representatives. Disclaimer: Any press report
summaries in this report are included to bring U.S. readership closer to the
pulse of Canadian developments in agriculture. In no way do the views and
opinions of these sources reflect USDA’s, the U.S. Embassy’s, or any other U.S.
Government agency’s point of view or official policy.
MORE COUNTRIES OPEN BORDERS TO CANADIAN BEEF: Antigua and Barbuda,
Barbados, Jamaica, Philippines, Russia and Trinidad and Tobago have recently
partially lifted their bans on Canadian products. The Canadian Food Inspection
Agency is reportedly working with authorities in many of these countries on the
conditions necessary for the resumption of exports. Agriculture and Agri-Food
Minister Lyle Vanclief says that it demonstrates that countries are showing
their confidence in the safety and quality of Canadian beef. "While our number
one priority continues to be the full re-opening of the U.S. border to live
Canadian cattle, we consider every step forward to be a victory for the Canadian
agriculture industry." As of October 8 2003, Canada has shipped more than 44
million pounds of boxed beef, veal, processed beef products and bovine livers to
the United States. Shipments to Mexico are expected to begin within days. Mr.
Vanclief noted work continues on fully reopening the borders of Canada's other
trading partners.
JAPAN BSE NEWS WON’T IMPACT U.S. RULEMAKING PROCESS SAY CATTLEMEN: News of
an eighth case of BSE found in Japan, this time in an animal that is reported to
be 23 months of age won’t impact rulemaking in the U.S. to expand the list of
Canadian products eligible for export, including live cattle under 30 months,
says the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA). The CCA believes that the
abnormal case is probably linked to high levels of infected feed in Japan at an
early age. In its BSE update to members, the CCA states that the proposed U.S.
rule for exporting live cattle to the U.S. has now gone to the U.S. Office of
Management and Budget, which normally has up to 90 days to complete the draft
rule, but may complete it sooner. Then, the draft rule will be published in the
Federal Register for a comment period of a minimum of 30 days. The CCA
anticipates that the soonest Canadian live cattle will begin to move to the U.S.
is during the first quarter of 2004.
YEAR-ROUND CATTLE IMPORTS NOT YET POSSIBLE SAYS MINISTER: Canada’s
Agriculture Minister Lyle Vanclief responded to questions in Parliament this
week on live cattle imports saying that until risk assessment studies by the
Canadian Food Inspection Agency are complete, the border will remain closed to
year-round cattle imports from the United States. Canada’s cattle industry has
been lobbying strenuously for regulatory change that would permit year-round
imports currently prohibited under regulations pertaining to bluetongue and
anaplasmosis. In recent years, U.S. feeder cattle have entered Canada during the
October to March period (the non-vector period) under Canada’s Restricted Feeder
Program. The CCA believes that easing the regulation to enable year-round access
to U.S. feeder cattle poses minimal risk and addresses concerns related to
normal trade and an open border. Trade potential is significant. During the
period October 2000 to March 2001, Canadian feedlots imported more than 209,000
head of U.S. feeder cattle with an estimated value exceeding $150 million.
Date: 12/19/2003 GAIN Report Number: KS3074 KS3074 Korea, Republic of
FAIRS Product Specific Meat & Poultry Health Certificate for Korean Exports
2003 Approved by: Marcus E. Lower U.S. Embassy Prepared by: Stan Phillips / Yong
Keun Ban Report Highlights: Due to the outbreak of BSE in Canada, the Republic
of Korea has changed the type of FSIS health certificates required for exporting
meat and processed meat products to Korea. This report provides information on
the current FSIS health certificates required for exports to the Republic of
Korea. Includes PSD Changes: No Includes Trade Matrix: No Unscheduled Report
Seoul [KS1] [KS] USDA Foreign Agricultural Service GAIN Report Global
Agriculture Information Network Template Version 2.09 GAIN Report - KS3074 Page
2 of 3 UNCLASSIFIED USDA Foreign Agricultural Service FSIS Health Certificates
Required for Exporting Meat Products to the Republic of Korea Meat quarantine
inspections are very strict in Korea. No meat products will clear Korean Customs
without the necessary certificates and required information. Recently, new FSIS
Health certificates for importing meat products from the United States have been
put in place, in conjunction with the outbreak of BSE in Canada. The current
FSIS Forms may undergo another revision, depending on the outcome of the comment
gathering process on the draft proposal to allow live cattle imports from
Canada. However, the following is the health certificates that are required for
exporting meat products into the Republic of Korea at present. Red Meat
Products: Red meat products must be accompanied by the following FSIS
certificates (FSIS Form 9060-5 for every shipment and all or one of the FSIS
form 9305-4, 9305-5 and/or 9305-6, depending on the type of meat used for
producing the final product.): - FSIS Form 9060-5, Meat and Poultry Export
Certificate of Wholesomeness (All meats must have this certificate) - FSIS Form
9305-4, Certificate for Export of Beef and Beef Products to the Republic of
Korea (For beef and beef products) - FSIS Form 9305-5 Certificate for Export of
Pork Meat to the Republic of Korea (For pork and pork products) - FSIS Form
9305-6 Certificate for Export of Sheep and Goat Meat and Sheep and Goat Meat
Products to the Republic of Korea (For sheep and goat meat products) Note: Form
9305-4, 9305-5, and 9305-6 are new certificates replacing Form 9305-3. The new
certificates have been required for unprocessed meat (e.g., cut meat) since
October 1, 2003. The new certificates are also required for processed beef,
pork, sheep and/or lamb products from December 1, 2003. If the processed product
contains more than one ingredient (e.g., beef and pork), then it will be
required to be accompanied by the respective certificates (e.g., in the case of
beef and pork, 9060-5, 9305-4 and 9305-5). Additional Information for Processed
Meat Products: Processed meat products such as sausages, hamburger patties and
ground meat do not need to indicate slaughter information on the FSIS Form
(9305-4, 9305-5, and 9305-6). These products are required to indicate only
processing information. Livestock or Dairy Products: To get an exemption from
quarantine inspection for livestock or dairy products that have undergone a
pasteurization or sterilization process and meet the Korean government
standards, one of following documents shall be furnished to confirm the product
has been pasteurized or sterilized according to Korean standards: - Health
certificate issued by exporting government - Manufacturing process verified by
exporting government - Notarized verification document issued by the
representative of the manufacturing company In response to the BSE issues, Korea
has currently banned all ruminant animals and their products originating from 30
European nations, Japan, Israel, and Canada. Korea now requires certification
that the imported ruminant or ruminant product did not originate from GAIN
Report - KS3074 Page 3 of 3 UNCLASSIFIED USDA Foreign Agricultural Service the
countries listed by the Korean government as BSE outbreak nations. Certification
of a US product from "non-BSE origin countries" can be a statement issued by the
U.S.
Date: 8/26/2004
GAIN Report Number: E34050
E34050
EU-25
Livestock and Products
EFSA publishes new report on the Geographical BSE Risk Assessment
2004
Approved by:
Stan Cohen
U.S. Mission to the EU
Prepared by:
Karin Bendz
Report Highlights:
In August 2004 the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) published new
scientific reports on the GBR classifications for seven countries. The U.S. was
classified in level three which means "BSE is likely but not confirmed or
confirmed at a lower level".
The risk assessment was based on information submitted by the countries
concerned, and relates in particular to imports of bovines and meat and bone
meal from the UK and other BSE-risk countries.
Includes PSD Changes: No
Includes Trade Matrix: No
Unscheduled Report
Brussels USEU [BE2]
[E3]
USDA Foreign Agricultural Service
GAIN Report
Global Agriculture Information Network
Template Version 2.09
GAIN Report - E34050 Page 2 of 4
UNCLASSIFIED USDA Foreign Agricultural Service
On August 20, 2004 the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published
up-to-date scientific reports on the Geographical Bovine Spongiform
Encephalopathy (BSE) Risk (GBR) for seven countries. The countries are
Australia, Canada, Mexico, Norway, South Africa, Sweden and the United
States.
The GBR evaluations are based on information submitted by the countries
concerned in response to a European Commission recommendation in 1998, which set
out the information requirements for such an assessment. The scientific reports
address the GBR in a number of countries based on data covering the period
1980-2003.
The information concerns in particular imports of bovines and meat and bone
meal (MBM) from the United Kingdom and other BSE-risk countries, rendering
standards for animal byproducts, use specific risk materials (SRM’s), and
feeding of meat and bone meal (MBM) to ruminants.
Table of the classification of the countries
GBR of the country/Region
GBR
level
Presence of one or more cattle clinically or preclinically
infected with the BSE agent in a
geographical region/country
Status Before Status After
I Highly unlikely Australia (I)
Norway (I) Australia (I)
II Unlikely but not excluded
Sweden (II)
Canada (II)
USA (II)
Sweden (II)
Norway (II)
III Likely but not confirmed or confirmed at a lower level South Africa
(N/A)
Mexico (N/A),
Canada (III)
USA (III)
South Africa (III)
Mexico (III)
IV Confirmed at a higher level
The result of the report is that Australia and Sweden were kept at the same
level as before the update, while Norway, Canada and the U.S. were classed at a
higher level.
The EFSA concludes that the BSE agent that was found in the U.S. was
probably imported into the U.S. and could have reached domestic cattle in the
middle of the 1980s. Cattle imported in the mid-1980s could have been rendered
in the late 1980s and therefore led to an internal challenge in the early 1990s.
EFSA concludes that it is possible that MBM’s imported into the U.S. reached
domestic cattle and posed a risk in the early 1990s.
According to the EFSA, a processing risk developed in the late 1980s and
early 1990s when cattle imports from BSE-risk countries were slaughtered or
died, and were processed (partly) into feed, together with some imports of MBM.
This risk continued to exist, and grew significantly in the mid-1990s when
domestic cattle, infected by imported MBM, reached processing. Given the low
stability of the system, the risk increased over the years with continued
imports of cattle and MBM from BSE risk countries.
This assessment deviates from the previous assessment (Scientific Steering
Committee (SSC) opinion, 2000) because at that time several exporting countries
were not considered a potential risk.
GAIN Report - E34050 Page 3 of 4
UNCLASSIFIED USDA Foreign Agricultural Service
It is also worth noting that the current GBR conclusions are not dependent
on the large exchange of imports between the U.S. and Canada. The threat from
European exports to the U.S. varied from moderate to high. These challenges
indicate that it was likely that BSE infectivity was introduced into the North
American continent.
EFSA and its Scientific Expert Working group on GBR are concerned that the
inspection missions of the Food and Veterinary office (FVO – DG SANCO) conducted
in member states and third countries didn’t assess the available information in
light of the risk posed by BSE. They recommend including BSE-related aspects in
future inspection missions.
Expected development of the GBR
As long as there are no significant changes in rendering or feeding, the
stability remains very to extremely unstable. Thus, the probability of cattle to
be (pre-clinically or clinically) infected with the BSE-agent persistently
increases.
Canada
For Canada the EFSA evaluation concludes that the BSE agent was probably
imported to the country in the 1980s and could have been rendered in the late
1980s and therefore posed a risk in the early 1990s. A certain risk that
BSE-infected cattle entered processing in Canada, and were at least partly
rendered for feed, occurred in the early 1990s when cattle imported from the UK
in the mid-1980s could have been slaughtered. This risk grew significantly in
the mid-1990s when domestic cattle, infected by imported MBM, reached
processing. This risk increased over the years with continued imports of cattle
and MBM from BSE risk countries.
Australia
The EFSA concludes that in the case of Australia, an extremely or very
unstable system was exposed to a very low or negligible challenge through the
import of cattle. Given the negligible level of external challenge through MBM
it is highly unlikely that any internal risk occurred.
This report is drafted from the EFSA scientific report. The full report can
be found at:
www.efsa.eu.int
GAIN Report - E34050 Page 4 of 4
UNCLASSIFIED USDA Foreign Agricultural Service
Visit our website: our website www.useu.be/agri/usda.html provides a broad
range of useful information on EU import rules and food laws and allows easy
access to USEU reports, trade information and other practical information.
E-mail: AgUSEUBrussels@usda.gov Related reports from USEU Brussels: Report
Number Title Date Released E24047 Host Country BSE Response Questionnaire 2004
04/05/04 E24044 European Commissioner David Byrn’s first regular BSE report of
the year 04/04/04 E24006 BSE – Potential Concerns of the European Commission
01/09/04 These reports can be accessed through our website www.useu.be/agri or
through the FAS website http://www.fas.usda.gov/scriptsw/attacherep/default.asp.
Date: 9/1/2004 GAIN Report Number: CA4063 CA4063 Canada Livestock and
Products Annual 2004 Approved by: Gary C. Groves U.S. Embassy Prepared by:
George Myles Report Highlights: Canada’s cattle industry is formulating a
made-in-Canada strategy to deal with a large surplus of cattle related to the
U.S. border closure to Canadian live cattle exports following the discovery of
BSE in an Alberta beef cow in May 2003. Canadian fed cattle prices are down
30-35% from their pre-BSE levels and prices for some classes of non-fed
slaughter cattle are at distress levels. Since the R-Calf injunction of April
2004, hope that the U.S. border would soon be open has turned to despair among
many industry participants.
Includes PSD Changes: Yes Includes Trade Matrix: No Annual Report Ottawa
[CA1] [CA]
a USDA proposed rule that would amend U.S. regulations to add Canada to a
category of regions that present minimal risk of introducing BSE into the United
States that would permit the importation of live Canadian cattle.
In the three years preceding the discovery of Canada’s first case of BSE in
May 2003, Canada exported an average of 1.3 million head annually of
predominantly slaughter cattle into the U.S. market, a level often representing
as much as a third of its slaughter-type animals. Canadian fed cattle prices are
down 30-35% from their pre-BSE levels and some classes of non-fed slaughter
cattle prices are at distress levels.
Since the R-Calf injunction of April 2004, hope that the U.S. border would
soon be open has turned to despair among many industry participants. As a
result, the Canadian cattle industry is formulating a made in Canada strategy to
deal with a surplus of cattle. Canada’s Agriculture Minister, Andy Mitchell
supports the made-in-Canada solutions, including increased slaughter capacity,
matching supply of animals to capacity available and increasing access to
foreign markets. He believes the Canadian cattle industry needs to reposition
itself to lessen its reliance on live cattle exports.
Key Features of A Strategic Plan:
The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) is exploring contingency plans
to address a cattle inventory backlog and insufficient domestic slaughter
capacity. At the CCA’s annual convention held in mid-August 2004, the
association revealed it is considering a set aside style program with the
support of the provinces and the federal government whereby fed cattle would be
set aside on a holding ration and enrolled in a type of regulated marketing
schedule to enable cattle to be slaughtered prior to 30 months of age. The plan
may include government assistance funds to offset feed costs during a holding
period. The CCA is hopeful that a plan will be forthcoming in the next few
weeks. The industry has additional longer-term goals to increase slaughter
capacity particularly for cull animals and to increase its market share of the
domestic market by displacing imported product.
Increasing Slaughter Capacity
According to industry sources, existing slaughter capacity (federal and
provincial) in Canada is currently about 79,000 head per week. Through expansion
to existing facilities, plant conversion, and new investment, the industry is
targeting to have capacity increase to 86,000 by spring 2005 and to 98,000 by
2006. The medium term solution includes recapturing the ability to process
non-fed slaughter cattle that previously were exported live to plants in the
United States. A major part of this strategy is to process for consumption a
much greater share of Canadian domestic needs for manufacturing type beef that
in recent years has been dominated by imported product. In fact, past GOC
policies that encouraged the importation of manufacturing beef led, in part, to
the decline in number of non-fed slaughter facilities that are so desperately
needed under present circumstances. Since BSE, the GOC has responded by not
issuing supplementary import permits for beef beyond Canada’s non-NAFTA tariff
rate quota.
GAIN Report - CA4063 Page 8 of 13
UNCLASSIFIED USDA Foreign Agricultural Service
Trade
Imports: Canadian beef imports fell dramatically in the first half of 2004
reflecting in part, the additional supplies of domestic beef and the GOC policy
to restrict supplementary import permits for non-NAFTA beef. Also, there was
some development time surrounding the U.S. Beef Export Verification Program
administered by the Agricultural Marketing Service of USDA to ensure that U.S.
beef exports to Canada meet Canadian BSE import requirements. In the January to
June period of 2004, total Canadian beef imports ran 70% below the level for the
same period a year ago. All major suppliers to Canada’s beef market noted
significant reductions in their sales to Canada.
Exports: Canadian beef exports suffered sharply in 2003 following the
single case of BSE discovered in Alberta in May 2003. However, since the U.S.
action on August 8, 2003 to permit imports of certain Canadian boneless beef and
beef products, Canadian beef exports to the United States have recovered almost
to their pre-BSE levels and beef exports to Mexico have advanced strongly beyond
their pre-BSE levels. Prospects for 2005 beef exports generally rest on U.S. and
Mexican markets although Macau and the Philippines are accepting Canadian
beef.
Policy
The GOC continues to lobby USDA at every opportunity in its attempt to
secure the reopening pf the U.S. border to Canadian live cattle. Last week,
Agriculture Minister Mitchell met with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman
to discuss the border situation. Canada’s BSE policies including those related
to the removal of Specified Risk Materials (SRM), feed bans, surveillance and
imports are detailed on the following Canadian Food Inspection Agency Inspection
webpage:
*** Last week, Agriculture Minister Mitchell met with U.S. Secretary of
Agriculture Ann Veneman to discuss the border situation.
a review of the mad cow debacle by USDA et al under Agriculture Secretary
Ann Veneman ;
US SENATOR AND STAN THE MAN SLAM USDA ''DAMNING TESTIMONY''
Senator Michael Machado from California
''USDA does not know what's going on''.
''USDA is protecting the industry''.
''SHOULD the state of California step in''
Stanley Prusiner
''nobody has ever ask us to comment''
''they don't want us to comment''
''they never ask''
i tried to see Venemon, after Candian cow was discovered with BSE. went to
see lyle. after talking with him... absolute ignorance... then thought I should
see Venemon... it was clear his entire policy was to get cattle bonless beef
prods across the border... nothing else mattered...
his aids confirmed this... 5 times i tried to see Venemon, never worked...
eventually met with carl rove the political... he is the one that arranged
meeting with Venemon... just trying to give you a sense of the distance... healh
public safety...
was never contacted...
yes i believe that prions are bad to eat and you can die from them... END
Dr. Stan bashing Ann Veneman - 3 minutes
Recall Authority and Mad Cow Disease: Is the Current System Good for
Californians?
Tuesday, February 24, 2004
JOINT HEARING
AGRICULTURE AND WATER RESOURCES HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AND SELECT
COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OVERSIGHT - MACHADO, ORTIZ, and SPEIER, Chairs
ALL VIDEOS OF THIS HEARING HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM THE WWW, LIKE IT NEVER
HAPPENED...but we know different...TSS
-------- Original Message -------- Subject: Re: Congressman Henry
Waxmans's Letter to the Honorable Ann Veneman on failure by USDA/APHIS TO TEST
TEXAS MAD COW Date: Wed, 9 Jun 2004 16:48:31 -0500 From: "Terry S. Singeltary
Sr." Reply-To: Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy To: BSE-L@uni-karlsruhe.de
References: 40A8CD52.1070308@wt.net
######## Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy #########
USA BSE RED BOOK
October 1998
BSE Red Book 2.1-36
snip...see full text of USDA BSE cover up here ;
Thursday, October 22, 2015
*** Former Ag Secretary Ann Veneman talks women in agriculture and we talk
mad cow disease USDA and what really happened those mad cows in Texas ***
Voluntary Report - public distribution
Date: 1/7/2005
GAIN Report Number: CA5001
CA5001
Canada
Agricultural Situation
This Week in Canadian Agriculture, Issue 1
2005
Approved by: Gary Groves
U.S. Embassy
Prepared by: Christina Patterson and George Myles
Report Highlights:
* Canada Confirms Second Case of BSE * Reactions to Minimal Risk Rule and
2nd BSE Case in Canada * Birth Date Registration Service For Cattle * Despite
BSE, Canadian Agricultural Exports to U.S. Remain Strong * Manitoba Confident of
Successful Defense in Swine Anti- Dumping Case * Canadian Wheat Board Election
Results * Toss of the Coin Gives Canada Majority on ECC Panel * Retaliation
Tariff Could Drive Bean Seed Prices Higher * Drop in Ontario Corn Acreage
Forecasted * Nothing More Than an Expensive Party Includes PSD Changes: No
Includes Trade Matrix: No
Unscheduled Report
Ottawa [CA1]
[CA]
USDA Foreign Agricultural Service
GAIN Report
Global Agriculture Information Network
Template Version 2.09
GAIN Report - CA5001 Page 2 of 4
UNCLASSIFIED USDA Foreign Agricultural Service
This Week in Canadian Agriculture is a weekly review of Canadian
agricultural industry developments of interest to the U.S. agricultural
community. The issues summarized in this report cover a wide range of subject
matter obtained from Canadian press reports, government press releases, and host
country agricultural officials and representatives.
Disclaimer: Any press report summaries in this report are included to bring
U.S. readership closer to the pulse of Canadian developments in agriculture. In
no way do the views and opinions of these sources reflect USDA’s, the U.S.
Embassy’s, or any other U.S. Government agency’s point of view or official
policy.
CANADA CONFIRMS SECOND CASE OF BSE: One day after the December 29, 2004
announcement of USDA's BSE minimal-risk rule that proposes the resumption of
imports of cattle under 30 months from Canada and additional Canadian beef and
ruminant products on March 7, 2005, Canada’s Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)
announced that preliminary test results identified a BSE suspect animal in
Alberta. After additional laboratory testing, it was confirmed on January 2,
2005 that an older dairy cow from Alberta was positive for bovine spongiform
encephalopathy (BSE). The infected animal was born in 1996, prior to the
introduction of Canada’s 1997 feed ban. It is suspected that the animal became
infected by contaminated feed before the feed ban. On January 4, 2005, Ron
DeHaven, Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, announced
that USDA remains confident that the animal and public health measures that
Canada has in place, including the removal of specified risk material (SRMs)
from the human food chain, a ruminant-to-ruminant feed ban, a national
surveillance program and import restrictions, combined with existing U.S.
domestic safeguards and the additional safeguards announced as part of USDA's
BSE minimal-risk rule announced Dec. 29 provide the utmost protections to U.S.
consumers and livestock.
REACTIONS TO MINIMAL RISK RULE AND 2ND BSE CASE IN CANADA: During the
hearing on the nomination of Nebraska Gov. Mike Johanns as Secretary of
Agriculture, Johanns listened to several appeals from members of the Senate
Agriculture Committee to slow down the opening of the Canadian border to live
cattle imports from the March 7, 2005 scheduled date. Gov. Johanns assured the
Committee that he intended to fully participate in congressional hearings
related to the minimal risk rule. R-CALF USA, the Ranchers-Cattlemen Action
Legal Fund, United Stockgrowers of America, posted a fund raising appeal on its
website asking members to contribute generously to a continued effort to fight
the re-opening of the border to Canadian live cattle. In a statement, American
Meat Institute (AMI) President and CEO J. Patrick Boyle made the following
comment: "Beef trade with Canada should move forward because the measures taken
by both the U.S. and Canada, to ensure that beef is safe and wholesome, are
working as planned." Mark Dopp of the American Meat Association reportedly said
that Canadian cattle should be allowed into the U.S., given that the two
countries now have almost identical rules in place when it comes to testing for
and dealing with cases of mad cow disease. Calling Canadian beef unsafe is like
calling your twin sister ugly," Dopp said.
snip...
DESPITE BSE, CANADIAN AGRICULTURAL EXPORTS TO U.S. REMAIN STRONG: Despite
BSE border restrictions in effect throughout 2004, Canada managed an estimated
$11.5 billion worth of agricultural exports to the U.S., up more than 10% from
the 2003 level and more than 11% above the pre-BSE 2002 level. Increased beef
exports were partially responsible. Since August 8, 2003, when the U.S. allowed
imports of Canadian boneless beef from young cattle, the Canadian beef industry
has slaughtered animals that can no longer be exported as live, and has taken
advantage of strong U.S. wholesale meat prices. The value of Canadian fresh or
frozen beef to the U.S. in the January to October period of 2004 was almost $1.0
billion, 58% greater than during the same period of 2003 and
GAIN Report - CA5001 Page 3 of 4
UNCLASSIFIED USDA Foreign Agricultural Service almost $100 million higher
than the same period of 2002- before BSE! In addition, large increases in
Canadian exports of pork, live swine, frozen french fries, vegetable oils, and
snack foods to the U.S. all helped to more than offset the declines in the value
of live cattle trade over the last couple of years.
*** Calling Canadian beef unsafe is like calling your twin sister ugly,"
Dopp said.
GAIN Report Number: CA5038 CA5038 Canada Agricultural Situation This Week
in Canadian Agriculture, Issue 19 2005
*** bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) The new policy would be less
restrictive than the current one.
GOC RELEASES CONSULTATION DOCUMENT ON NEW BSE IMPORT POLICY IN LINE WITH
OIE: The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is inviting public comment on a
proposed new Canadian Import Policy to prevent bovine spongiform encephalopathy
(BSE) in bovine animals and their products. The proposed policy would bring
Canada’s approach in line with new World Organization for Animal Health (OIE)
standards as well as the proposed North American import standard announced on
March 29, 2005. It is based on the recognition that international knowledge of
bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and me asures to mitigate its
transmission have advanced significantly since Canada’s existing import policy
for controlling BSE was established in 1997. The new policy would be less
restrictive than the current one. Canada’s current policy permits the
importation of live ruminants including, cattle, sheep and goats, and products
derived from them, only after the exporting country has been officially
recognized as BSE-free. Current science recognizes that the “ BSE-free”
requirement is unnecessarily restrictive. The draft policy is based on a
proposed new OIE three-tier system for classifying bovine-trading countries
based on their BSE risk management regimes. In all cases, exporting countries
would also have to continue to meet other non-BSE food safety and animal
health
GAIN Report - CA5038 Page 3 of 4
UNCLASSIFIED USDA Foreign Agricultural Service
requirements before becoming eligible to ship to Canada under any of the
new BSE risk categories. A consultation period ending on July 22, 2005 is being
provided to allow interested parties the opportunity to provide comments on the
draft policy. Notice of this consultation is being published in the Canada
Gazette.
*** bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) The new policy would be less
restrictive than the current one.
Date: 8/26/2005 GAIN Report Number: CA5056 CA5056 Canada Livestock and
Products Annual 2005 Approved by: Gary C. Groves U.S. Embassy Prepared by:
George Myles
GAIN Report - CA5056 Page 3 of 16
UNCLASSIFIED USDA Foreign Agricultural Service
Executive Summary
* On July 18, 2005 after the implementation of the USDA minimal risk rule,
the U.S. border re-opened to certain live cattle imports from Canada for the
first time in more than two years, but imports from Canada have not resumed the
average levels of the pre-BSE period. Part of the Canadian cattle industry’s
repositioning strategy is to become less reliant on the U.S. processing industry
by expanding domestic slaughter capacity.
* Another Canadian cattle industry restructuring goal is to recapture the
ability to domestically process non-fed cattle that previously were exported
live to plants in the United States. Most of these animals are over 30 months
and are ineligible for export to the United States under the USDA minimal risk
rule.
* By the end of 2005, domestic cattle slaughter in Canada is expected to be
nearly 20% above pre-BSE levels and further slaughter capacity expansion is
planned. By 2006, annual Canadian beef and veal production is forecast to be
almost 25% greater than during the pre- BSE period.
* The impact of country bans on imports of Canadian beef following the BSE
case of May 2003 in Alberta was mitigated by the U.S. action to allow the entry
of boneless beef from Canadian cattle under 30 months in early August 2003, less
than 3 months after the Alberta BSE incident. Despite major world markets
remaining closed to Canadian beef, Canada’s total beef exports have surpassed
their pre-BSE level on the strength of access to the U.S. market.
* Increases in the Canadian hog inventory have moderated in the past two
years and the July 1, 2005 survey by Statistics Canada showed only fractional
growth (0.9%) compared to total hog numbers on farms on that date a year
ago.
* Following a flat performance in 2004, Canadian pork exports rebounded
during the first six months of 2005 with strong sales increases to South Korea,
Japan, Romania and Australia. Canadian pork exports to the United States, the
largest export market for Canadian pork continued to decline in the first half
of 2005. On balance, Canadian pork exports during 2005 are forecast to exceed
1.0 million metric tons for the first time.
* During 2004, Canadian pork imports from the United States surpassed the
100,000 metric ton level for the first time since the late 1970s. For 2005, pork
imports from the United States are on pace to register a year over year increase
of approximately 30%.
GAIN Report - CA5056 Page 4 of 16
UNCLASSIFIED USDA Foreign Agricultural Service
Section I. Cattle and Beef
Canada’s cattle industry continues to be impacted by the discovery of a
case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in Alberta in May 2003. Major
markets for Canadian beef remain closed, most notably Japan. Although access to
the U.S. market has improved for Canadian cattle and beef, bovines older than 30
months of age, beef from older animals, and breeding stock are still banned from
entering the United States. Prior to its BSE case of May 2003, the Canadian
cattle industry was heavily dependent on cattle exports to the United States and
Canada’s experience with BSE-related trade restrictions has prompted a
repositioning strategy that has implications for future U.S./Canada beef and
cattle trade. The Canadian industry is determined to become less reliant on U.S.
live cattle markets and industry and government leaders equally support a more
aggressive approach to increasing offshore markets for Canadian beef.
Date: 3/16/2006 GAIN Report Number: CA6012 CA6012 Canada Agricultural
Situation This Week in Canadian Agriculture, Issue 8 2006 Approved by: Lisa
Anderson U.S. Embassy Prepared by: George Myles
BSE NOT WORSENING IN NORTH AMERICA SAYS AG MINISTER: Canadian agriculture
minister Chuck Strahl said in a press release that (this week’s) confirmation of
bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in Alabama does not indicate an increased
risk associated with American beef and live cattle. The minister stated that the
most recent case, and others that may be found in the future, do not indicate
that BSE in this part of the world is worsening. Rather, they are a reflection
of government, industry and individual producer’s commitment, on both sides of
the border, to responsibly manage the disease. Strahl said that Canadian and
American officials remain in close contact and although the origin of the animal
remains unconfirmed, that Canada had received no requests to conduct any tracing
of Canadian animals.
*** Strahl said that Canadian and American officials remain in close
contact and although the origin of the animal remains unconfirmed, that Canada
had received no requests to conduct any tracing of Canadian animals. ***
*** 2009 UPDATE ON ALABAMA AND TEXAS MAD COWS 2005 and 2006 ***
Saturday, August 14, 2010
BSE Case Associated with Prion Protein Gene Mutation (g-h-BSEalabama) and
VPSPr PRIONPATHY
*** (see mad cow feed in COMMERCE IN ALABAMA...TSS) ***
Thursday, January 3, 2008
*** ANIMAL HEALTH REPORT 2006 (BSE h-BASE EVENT IN ALABAMA, Scrapie, and
CWD)
Date: 8/11/2006 GAIN Report Number: CA6033 CA6033 Canada Agricultural
Situation This Week in Canadian Agriculture, Issue 19 2006 Approved by: Lisa
Anderson U.S. Embassy Prepared by: George Myles
INVESTIGATION OF MANITOBA BSE CASE COMPLETED: The Canadian Food Inspection
Agency (CFIA) has concluded its epidemiological investigation of the case of
bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) confirmed on July 3, 2006 in a 16
year-old cow from Manitoba. According to CFIA, no part of the animal’s carcass
entered the human food or animal feed chains. The advanced age of the affected
animal (at least 16 years old) limited the CFIA’s capacity to collect
information concerning the animal’s early history, including its birth farm. The
CFIA traced 21 herdmates that had been previously purchased with the affected
animal. One of these animals was still alive and tested negative for BSE.
Canada’s 7th confirmed BSE case occurred about week later in a 50 month-old
dairy cow from Alberta. The CFIA investigation of this most recent case of BSE,
confirmed July 13, 2006, is nearing completion and the CFIA expects to summarize
the findings of that investigation shortly.
Date: 9/6/2006 GAIN Report Number: CA6038 CA6038 Canada Livestock and
Products Annual 2006 Approved by: Lisa Anderson U.S. Embassy Prepared by: George
Myles
GAIN Report - CA6038 Page 7 of 13
UNCLASSIFIED USDA Foreign Agricultural Service
Per Capita Consumption
Eight cases of BSE detection in Canada since May 2003 have not had a major
negative impact on Canadian beef and veal consumption. In fact, per capita beef
consumption was higher last year than during 2002, the pre-BSE era. Canadian
consumers continue to demonstrate a high level of confidence in the Canadian
food inspection system.
Date: 2/28/2008 GAIN Report Number: CA8009 CA8009 Canada Livestock and
Products Semi-Annual 2008 Approved by: Norval Francis U.S. Embassy Prepared by:
George Myles
Market recovery post-BSE
Canada continues its attempts to regain access to world markets that were
lost after the BSE case in may 2003. In May 2007, the World Organization for
Animal Health, or commonly referred to as the OIE (for its French language
acronym), granted Canada (and the U.S.) a “controlled” risk status for bovine
spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). Hugh Lynch-Staunton, president of the Canadian
Cattlemen's Association, told the Canadian Press that the Canadian cattle
industry is hopeful that the OIE’s second-highest safety designation will
translate into more (Canadian beef) exports. "It's a very significant step,"
said Lynch-Staunton. "It gives an independent, scientific assessment of the BSE
situation in Canada," he said. On February 25, 2008 Gerry Ritz, Minister of
Agriculture and Agri-Food announced that Mexico will allow the resumption of the
importation of Canadian breeding cattle, dairy or beef, under 30 months of age.
Mexico banned imports of live Canadian cattle in May 2003 after the initial
detection of BSE in Alberta. Mexico reopened the market for most Canadian beef
that same summer, but has kept the border closed to Canadian cattle. Canadian
products now approved for export to Mexico include beef derived from animals
under 30 months of age and dairy and beef breeding cattle. At the same time, the
Minister also said that Barbados, which had already opened its market to
Canadian beef, would now accept a full range of breeding cattle.
Canada Confirms 12th BSE Case With Detection In Alberta
On February 26, 2008, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) confirmed
bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a six-year-old dairy cow from Alberta.
The animal's carcass is under CFIA control, and no part of it entered the human
food or animal feed systems. According to the CFIA, the age and location of the
infected animal are consistent with previous cases detected in Canada and the
new case will not affect Canada’s Controlled Risk country status, as recognized
by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). Based on science, the CFIA
says that it does not expect that the finding should impact access to any of
Canada’s current international markets for cattle and beef. The CFIA reiterated
that as Canada progresses toward the eradication of BSE, the periodic detection
of a small number of cases is fully expected. It said that its BSE surveillance
program, which targets the highest risk animals and regions, continues to
benefit from very strong producer participation and that Canada’s animal and
human health safeguards prevent potentially harmful cattle tissues from entering
the human food and animal feed systems. The CFIA will conduct an epidemiological
investigation directed by international guidelines to identify the animal’s
herdmates at the time of birth and potential pathways by which it might have
become infected. Once completed, a report on the investigation will be publicly
released. Canada’s last case of BSE was detected in December, 2007.
August 15, 2008
CANADA CONFIRMS 14TH CASE OF BSE: On August 15, 2008, the Canadian Food
Inspection Agency (CFIA) confirmed bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a
six-year-old beef cow from Alberta. It was Alberta’s 10th case. There were three
in British Columbia and one in Manitoba. The animal’s birth farm has been
identified, and an investigation is underway. The CFIA is tracing the animal's
herdmates and e xamining possible sources of infection. According to the CFIA,
the age and location of the infected animal are consistent with previous cases
detected in Canada. The case was detected through the Canada’s BSE surveillance
program and the CFIA said that n o part of the animal’s carcass entered the
human food or animal feed systems. Canada is a Controlled Risk country for BSE,
a designation it received in May 2007 by the World Organization for Animal
Health (OIE). The finding of this latest case is not expected to affect exports
of Canadian cattle or beef.
Date: 5/22/2008 GAIN Report Number: CA8034 CA8034 Canada Agricultural
Situation This Week in Canadian Agriculture, Issue #14 2008 Approved by: Lisa
Anderson U.S. Embassy Prepared by: Darlene Dessureault, George Myles
BSE FIVE YEARS LATER; BEEF EXPORTS 30% LOWER: Five years ago this week, May
20, 2003, Canada’s first case of Bovine Spongiform E ncephalopathy (BSE) was
detected in a beef cow in Alberta. In the years prior to the incident, Canada’s
cattle industry was in an expansion phase, exporting more than 60% of its
production to the United States and overseas markets. Following BSE detection,
Canada’s trading partners shut their borders to Canadian cattle and beef and the
subsequent loss of international markets was devastating to the industry. Loss
estimates in the first two years were in the $5-7 billion range. The Canadian
government responded with financial aid upwards of $500 million. The market
disruption altered the U.S./Canada trade flow of cattle and beef that had
evolved into an integrated market. By late 2007, Canadian market access to the
U.S. beef market was in large part back to where it was prior to BSE following
U.S. action to harmonize cattle and beef trade with Canada in line with
International Animal Health Standards. However, despite renewed access to the
U.S., and several other markets, Canada’s beef industry has had difficulty
restoring exports to the pre-BSE level although it continues to make efforts to
re-open blocked markets such as South Korea. According to official trade data,
total Canadian product weight exports of beef and veal (fresh, frozen, and
prepared) during 2007 reached 326,723 MT. The level was up from 2003 when the
first BSE detection resulted in exports declining to 295,085 MT, but remained
30% below the 469,490 MT exported during 2002, the full calendar year prior to
the BSE finding. Canadian live cattle exports to the United States which reached
1.7 million head in 2002, fell to zero in 2004, rebounded to 1.4 million head
after access to the U.S. market for live cattle normalized in two stages in 2005
and 2007 after USDA categorized Canada as a minimal risk region for BSE.
GAIN Report - CA8034 Page 3 of 5 UNCLASSIFIED USDA Foreign Agricultural
Service
WHAT NOW FOR CANADIAN BEEF EXPORTS?: Even with BSE essentially behind them,
there is nor shortage of current concern among Canadian cattle producers. Faced
with a glut of cattle after BSE, the industry has worked the inventory down to
the point where slaughter plant capacity is underutilized. Also, new
difficulties including higher feed prices, a stronger Canadian dollar, and low
market prices for cattle have been stressing the industry. Given the challenges
ahead, many in the Canadian beef industry feel the need to be pro-active in
order to preserve both profitability and competitiveness. In this regard, at
least two industry/producer initiated strategies have emerged to tackle the
issue of market development for an industry so heavily dependent on exports. One
such initiative is the Canadian Beef Advantage, an ongoing market strategy
embraced by The Canadian Cattlemen Market Development Council, the Beef
Information Centre, the industry’s domestic promotional arm, a nd the Canadian
Beef Export Federation, the industry’s export promotion arm. The cornerstone of
the Canadian Beef Advantage is the development of a global branding strategy for
Canadian beef and cattle genetics. The sponsoring groups believe they can
promote the advantages of Canadian beef drawing on Canada’s grading system
(quality criteria), Canada’s regulatory and food safety standards, and the
country’s reputation as a “natural” environment. Another initiative is the
Canada Gold Beef concept, a grass roots effort in western Canada that also wants
to produce and sell a family of branded beef products with environmental, animal
husbandry, and strict food safety requirements to meet the demands of local and
international customers. That group wants to s tart its own Alberta based
slaughter plant to compete with the U.S. players in Alberta, Tyson and Cargill.
Comment: A similar, producer run plant called Rancher’s Beef, which began
operation during the BSE crisis, went bankrupt within two years. Whatever the
outcome, it appears that the Canadian beef industry realizes that beef marketing
in the post-BSE era needs to be different. The new realities of international
beef marketing, whether they be adjusting to the upcoming U.S. Country of Origin
Labeling regulations or facing increased competition in world markets from other
global beef suppliers, are likely to be reflected in both industry and
government future policies directed at Canada’s beef industry.
Date: 11/21/2008 GAIN Report Number: CA8083 CA8083 Canada Agricultural
Situation This Week in Canadian Agriculture: Issue 34 2008 Approved by: Robin
Tilsworth U.S. Embassy Prepared by: George Myles & Darlene Dessureault
CANADA’S 15TH CASE OF BSE CONFIRMED IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: On November 18,
2008 the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) confirmed bovine spongiform
encephalopathy (BSE) in a seven-year-old dairy cow from British Columbia. No
part of the animal’s carcass entered the human food or animal feed systems. The
animal’s birth farm has been identified, and an investigation is underway. The
CFIA is tracing the animal's herdmates at the time of birth and examining
possible sources of infection. This case was detected through Canada’s BSE
surveillance program. The CFIA said that the program continues to play an
important role in Canada’s strategy to manage BSE. Canada remains a Controlled
Risk country for BSE, as recognized by the World Organization for Animal Health
(OIE). According to the CFIA, the latest case should not affect exports of
Canadian cattle or beef.
Date: 3/27/2009 GAIN Report Number: CA9016 CA9016 Canada Agricultural
Situation This Week in Canadian Agriculture, Issue 12 2009 Approved by: Robin
Tilsworth U.S. Embassy Prepared by: George Myles & Darlene Dessureault
GAIN Report - CA9016 Page 2 of 3
UNCLASSIFIED USDA Foreign Agricultural Service
This Week in Canadian Agriculture is a weekly review of Canadian
agricultural industry developments of interest to the U.S. agricultural
community. The issues summarized in this report cover a wide range of subject
matter obtained from Canadian press reports, government press releases, and host
country agricultural officials and representatives. Disclaimer: Any press report
summaries in this report are included to bring U.S. readership closer to the
pulse of Canadian developments in agriculture. In no way do the views and
opinions of these sources reflect USDA’s, the U.S. Embassy’s, or any other U.S.
Government agency’s point of view or official policy.
RITZ DELIVERS BLUNT MESSAGE TO SOUTH KOREA ON ACCEPTANCE OF CANADIAN BEEF:
Following his trade mission to Seoul, Canada Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz
spoke to the media by telephone late last week and said he told South Korean
Trade Minister Kim Jong-hoon and Agriculture Minister Chang Tae-pyong that
unless the Asian country lifted its ban on Canadian beef soon that Canada would
initiate a WTO challenge. Ritz told reporters, "We left the Koreans with no
illusion that the FTA is on hold until we get this beef issue worked through and
resolved to Canadian producers' benefit," Ritz told reporters in a conference
call. "It makes it very difficult to move forward when they want to just hive
off a very significant part of our exports and hold it in abeyance while we move
forward with all smiles and chuckles. I'm not prepared to do that . . . the
(Canadian) government in Ottawa is not prepared to do that." Ritz said he thinks
South Korea's refusal to accept Canadian beef stems from protectionism of its
own industry. Comment: South Korea banned all Canadian beef and cattle following
Canada’s initial detection of BSE in May, 2003. During 2002, the full year prior
to international BSE bans on Canadian beef, South Korea was the third most
important export market for Canadian beef. Exports in 2002 totaled almost 12,500
metric tons valued at C$45 million. Canadian beef exports have not yet recovered
to their pre-BSE level and renewed access to the South Korean beef market would
be welcome news for the Canadian beef industry. South Korea agreed to accept
U.S. beef about a year ago (see USDA release 0106.08) and Canadian beef
exporters thought that a South Korea/Canada beef agreement would soon follow.
Canada and South Korea launched free trade agreement negotiations in July
2005.
CANADA BEEF EXPORT FEDERATION CONGRATULATES MINISTER RITZ ON TRADE MISSION
TO KOREA: In a press release, the Canada Beef Export Federation (CBEF) has
congratulated Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz on his recent trade mission to
Seoul, South Korea. “We congratulate Minister Ritz and support him in his
efforts to pursue access for Canadian beef and veal in this very important
market,” said Gib Drury, Board Chair of the Canada Beef Export Federation. “In
traveling to Korea and directly engaging with senior Korean Government
officials, Minister Ritz has demonstrated the very serious intent of the
Canadian Government to resolve this impasse in a non confrontational manner. Our
Korea office reports that all of the importer representatives who met with
Minister Ritz were very impressed with the Minister’s assertive and
business-friendly attitude. This will stand our industry in good stead upon our
return.” According to Drury, the CBEF believes that South Korea will only resume
trade in Canadian beef if Canada takes the steps of increasing pressure by
initiating WTO dispute settlement consultations. In this light, CBEF believes
that Canada must initiate the consultations - a process that can be halted
should Korea agree to the resumption of trade. Drury said that Canada's strategy
must be dedicated to the goal of resuming trade in all edible beef and veal
products derived from cattle less than 30 months of age in the spring of 2009.
Comment: The CBEF is the non-profit export promotional agency for Canada’s beef
industry. It is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta and has overseas offices in
Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong and Mexico.
Date: 3/16/2009 GAIN Report Number: HK9007 HK9007 Hong Kong Livestock and
Products Hong Kong Opens Market to Certain Canadian Bone-In Beef Cuts 2009
Approved by: Philip A. Shull American Consulate General Prepared by: Caroline
Yuen Report Highlights: The Hong Kong Government (HKG) announced on March 9,
2009 that it was opening its market to most Canadian bone-in beef cuts (the
exception being vertebral column cuts) from cattle less than 30 months old. The
HKG cited Canada’s implementation of enhanced control measures as the reason for
its decision. All Canadian plants currently approved for boneless exports to
Hong Kong are cleared to ship bone-in cuts. U.S. bone-in cuts remain banned.
Includes PSD Changes: No Includes Trade Matrix: No Trade Report Hong Kong [HK1]
[HK] GAIN Report - HK9007 Page 2 of 2 UNCLASSIFIED USDA Foreign Agricultural
Service The Hong Kong government (HKG) issued a press release on March 9, 2009
announcing that the Center of Food Safety (CFS) will resume processing import
applications for Canadian bone-in beef with immediate effect. All non-vertebral
(e.g. rib and shoulder cuts) bone-in cuts from cattle less than 30 months old
are allowed to be imported from Canada. The press release stated that Hong Kong
is taking this decision as a result of Canada's implementation of enhanced
control measures against Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE). All Canadian
plants which are currently cleared to export boneless beef to Hong Kong are
automatically eligible to export bone-in beef to Hong Kong. Unlike the Canadian
press release that was issued on January 16, 2009 on this subject, the Hong Kong
statement did not discuss subsequent phases of the market opening that would
include offals and vertebral column cuts. It simply said "We will closely
monitor the situation and review our import requirements as and when necessary."
The HKG banned the entry of Canadian beef since May 2003, after the detection of
a case of BSE in Alberta, Canada. The ban on import of boneless beef from Canada
was lifted in November 2004. The HKG conducted a plant audit visit in September
2007 as part of its requirement to open its market to Canadian bone-in beef.
Following the Canadian Agriculture Minister’s visit to Hong Kong in January
2009, the Canadian government issued a press release on January 16 announcing
that Canada and Hong Kong reached an agreement in-principle that would open the
market to Canadian bone-in beef in three phases. According to the statement,
phase I expands access from the current “boneless under 30 months (UTM)” to
allow entry of all bone-in beef from cattle UTM, except vertebral column cuts
(i.e. T-bones). Phase I will be concluded following successful shipments of a
minimum of twelve consignments and twelve tons, and a minimum of two-to-four
months. Phase II eliminates age restrictions on ribs and boneless beef, and also
grants access to offals from cattle of any age. Following a three-to-six month
period of smooth imports of Phase II products, the Phase III addition of T-bones
from animals UTM will be added. Despite Canada having more recent and more
numerous cases of BSE than the U.S, the Hong Kong market remains closed to all
U.S. bone-in beef.
Date: GAIN Report Number: Post: Report Categories: Approved By: Prepared
By: Report Highlights: BSE Case in United States Will Not Affect Trade, States
Canadian Food Inspection Agency * Health Canada Moves to Close Fortified Snack
and Beverage Loophole * Canadian Food Inspection Agency Publishes Notice of
Intent with Respect to Importer Licensing Regime * Canadian Grain Sector Shakeup
Expected with Potential Foreign Acquisition of Canadian Grain Company Darlene
Dessureault Robin Gray Agriculture in the News This Week in Canadian Agriculture
- Issue 7 Ottawa Canada CA12016 4/25/2012 Public Voluntary 2
This Week in Canadian Agriculture is a review of Canadian agricultural
industry developments of interest to the U.S. agricultural community. The issues
summarized in this report cover a wide range of subject matter obtained from
Canadian press reports, government press releases, and host country agricultural
officials and representatives. Disclaimer: Any press article summaries in this
report are included to bring U.S. readership closer to the pulse of Canadian
developments in agriculture. In no way do the views and opinions of these
sources reflect USDA’s, the U.S. Embassy’s, or any other U.S. Government
agency’s point of view or official policy.
BSE Case in United States Will Not Affect Trade, States Canadian Food
Inspection Agency On April 25, 2012, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)
issued a press release stating that the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)
finding in a U.S. dairy cow sent for rendering in California will not affect
trade between the United States and Canada as both countries have implemented
science-based measures to protect animal and human health. These science-based
measures include prohibiting specified risk materials from entering the human
food system and animal feed chains and testing cattle for BSE. U.S. officials,
who made their announcement on April 24, 2012, have made clear that the BSE
finding will not affect the country's "controlled risk" status for BSE (bovine
spongiform encephalopathy) at the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE),
nor is it expected to affect U.S. beef or dairy exports to any nations following
OIE standards. USDA officials explained that the animal in question tested
positive for atypical BSE, a form of the disease not generally associated with
an animal consuming infected feed. U.S. officials have also confirmed that no
part of the animal`s carcass entered the food system. The statement from CFIA
can be found at the following URL address: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/about-the-cfia/newsroom/news-releases/bse/eng/1335311345275/1335311647373
force feeding TSE Prions aka mad cow disease to the public, and how to make
them like it $$$
Center for North American Studies CNAS 2005-1 Food Chain Disruptions and
Trade: The Case of North American Animal and Meat Trade March 2005
CRS REPORT FOR CONGRESS
Order Code RS21709 Updated December 6, 2006 Mad Cow Disease and U.S. Beef
Trade Charles E. Hanrahan and Geoffrey S. Becker Senior Specialist and
Specialist in Agricultural Policy Resources, Science, and Industry
Division
Summary
The 110th Congress is expected to monitor closely U.S. efforts to regain
foreign markets that banned U.S. beef when a cow in Washington state tested
positive for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, or mad cow disease) in
December 2003. Rebuilding foreign confidence in the safety of U.S. beef and
cattle has been impeded by two other confirmed U.S. cases of BSE, announced June
2005 and March 2006. The four major U.S. beef export markets, Canada, Mexico,
Japan, and Korea, are again accepting U.S. product. Resumption of beef trade
with Japan and Korea has not gone smoothly. Japan temporarily suspended all U.S.
exports when prohibited materials were discovered in a shipment, but trade has
now resumed. Korea rejected some shipments with bone fragments, but has not
prohibited all export trade. This report will be updated.1
U.S. Beef Trade
In 2003, the United States exported about 1.1 million metric tons (MMT) of
beef, veal and beef variety meats, valued at $3.9 billion. This was equivalent
to approximately 10% of the farm value of U.S. cattle and calves. U.S. beef
exports had grown rapidly during the decade beginning in 1992, increasing by
85%, while domestic beef consumption grew by just 14%.2
1 For additional details and background see CRS Report RS22345, BSE (“Mad
Cow Disease:): A Brief Overview, and CRS Report RL32199, Bovine Spongiform
Encephalopathy (BSE, or “Mad Cow Disease”): Current and Proposed
Safeguards.
2 Trade data sources are primarily USDA, Foreign Agricultural Service
(FAS), World Markets and Trade: Dairy, Poultry and Livestock, various issues;
and FASonline’s U.S. Trade Internet System at [http://www.fas.usda.gov/ustrade/].
Unless noted, other data are from the USDA Economic Research Service (ERS)
website at [http://www.ers.usda.gov/features/bse/index.htm].
After USDA’s 2003 BSE announcement, most countries banned or restricted
some or all imports of U.S. beef and cattle products. These included Japan,
South Korea, Mexico, and Canada, which together had purchased approximately 90%
of U.S. beef
CRS-2
3 For the latest list and specifics on country bans, see the USDA/APHIS
trade ban status website at [http://www.aphis.usda.gov/newsroom/hot_issues/bse/bse_trade_ban_status.shtml].
4 Center for Agricultural and Rural Development, Iowa Ag Review, summer
2003, at [http://www.
card.iastate.edu/iowa_ag_review/summer_03/article4.aspx]. Canadian cattle
imports resumed in 2005; see “Canada Situation.”
Japan 37% Korea 24% Mexico 20% Canada 10% Others 9% 2003 U.S. Beef Export
Markets
exports. Canada and Mexico resumed importing some U.S. beef in 2004. Japan
and Korea reopened their markets in July and November 2006, respectively.3 In
2003, the United States was the world’s third largest beef/veal exporter,
claiming 18% of the world beef/veal market. Australia and Brazil ranked one and
two, with 1.3 MMT and 1.2 MMT in exports, respectively. U.S. market share
plummeted to 3% in 2004 (209,000 MT) and has climbed to 7% (523,000 MT) in 2006.
Meanwhile, Brazil has become the top beef/veal exporter in 2006 with 28% of the
world market share, followed by Australia with 20%. Imports have represented
about 13% of total beef consumption in the United States, the largest world beef
importer. Imports from Canada (and Mexico) reflected an integrated North
American market. Prior to its own May 2003 BSE event, Canada was the United
States’ major source of beef and cattle imports. In 2002 Canada sent about 1.7
million cattle to the United States, where large feeding and slaughter capacity
readily absorbed them.4 Live cattle imports from Canada in 2006 were more than
730,000 head (January-September).
U.S. Beef Exports to Japan
After months of negotiations, the United States and Japan announced on
October 23, 2004, that the United States would establish, with Japanese
concurrence, an interim marketing program — a modified version of its Beef
Export Verification (BEV) Program — enabling a resumption of some U.S. exports
to Japan. BEV would certify that only beef products from cattle of 20 months or
younger are shipped. Also, the United States agreed to an expanded definition of
cattle parts that have a higher risk of harboring the BSE agent. These
“specified risk materials” (SRMs) include — for cattle of all ages — the entire
head except tongues and cheek meat; tonsils; spinal cords; distal ileum; and
part of the vertebral column. This is broader than the U.S. SRM definition,
which applies mainly to cattle over 30 months old.
The United States also agreed to permit Japanese beef into its market
following relevant domestic rule-making. USDA’s Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service (APHIS) published a final rule on December 14, 2005,
permitting such imports (whole
CRS-3
5 70 Federal Register, pp. 48494-484500 and pp. 73905-73919. 6 See U.S.
Dept. of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service, Japan: Livestock and
Products Annual Report 2006 at [http://www.fas.usda.gov/gainfiles/200608/146208801.pdf].
7 Ibid, p. 4.
boneless beef cuts under specified conditions).5 Prior to imposition of a
U.S. ban on Japanese beef imports due to animal disease (including BSE)
outbreaks there, that country exported an annual average of less than 9 tons of
primarily specialty beef (Kobe and other Wagyu).
Japan did not finalize its decision to permit U.S. beef imports until
December 2005, following a final report from its independent Food Safety
Commission (FSC) certifying the adequacy of U.S. safeguards, at which point
shipments resumed. However, the Japanese abruptly halted imports from all U.S.
importers again on January 20, 2006, after they found vertebral column bones in
several boxes of veal from one U.S. processor. Following Japan’s review of the
eligibility of U.S. slaughter facilities to export beef to Japan, the market
reopened for U.S. beef on July 27, 2006.
Recapturing more of the Japanese market for U.S. beef will not be easy.
U.S. beef exports to Japan confront several constraints: consumer beef safety
concerns, strict port scrutiny of U.S. shipments, currently high U.S. offer
prices, uncertainty about supplies of specific cuts under the BEV system, a
shift in consumer choice of protein from beef to pork, and competition for the
Japanese market from Australia, a BSE-free exporter.6 Australia currently
provides about 88% of Japanese imports of chilled and frozen beef. Another
potential constraint to expanding U.S. beef exports to Japan is potential
imposition of the beef import safeguard (a 50% tariff) should imports in 2007
exceed trigger levels.7
In Congress. During the 109th Congress, many Members expressed deep
frustration with the Japanese situation. Introduced in March 2005 were H.Res.
137 and S.Res. 87, calling for economic sanctions against Japan if it does not
permit U.S. beef. Also, S. 1922/H.R. 4179, introduced in October 2005, would
have imposed $3.14 billion in retaliatory tariffs on Japanese imports if Japan
did not lift the beef ban by December 15, 2005. Elsewhere, a Senate floor
amendment to the FY2006 USDA appropriation (H.R. 2744), which would have blocked
a new U.S. rule to permit some Japanese beef imports unless Japan lifted its own
ban, was deleted from the final conference agreement (H.Rept. 109-255, P.L.
109-97). Legislative initiatives in the 110th Congress will depend in large part
on the pace of resumption of U.S. beef imports by Japan.
U.S. Beef Exports to Korea
Korea’s prohibition on U.S. beef, which had been in place since December
2003, was lifted on September 11, 2006. Resumption of U.S. beef exports to
Korea, the United States second largest export destination for beef in 2003, is
expected to proceed slowly for the same reasons that will slow Japan’s
resumption of beef imports. Strict quarantine inspection requirements in Korean
ports have already resulted in the rejection of three shipments of U.S. beef
because of the presence of bone fragments.
CRS-4
8 See also CRS Report RL32932, Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE, or
“Mad Cow Disease”) in North America: A Chronology of Selected Events.
Canada Situation
After Canada’s first BSE-infected cow (from Alberta) was announced in May
2003, USDA published an interim final rule banning all Canadian ruminant and
product imports. In August 2003, USDA partially lifted the ban by permitting
(without publishing a rule) imports of boneless beef from animals 30 months or
younger, among other products. On November 4, 2003, USDA published a proposed
rule to permit other Canadian ruminant imports, including younger live cattle.
However, USDA already had been expanding the types of Canadian beef permitted
without formal rulemaking. In April 2004, in response to a lawsuit by
Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund USA (RCALF), a federal judge blocked this
expansion, citing concerns about food safety and improper rulemaking procedures.
Further expansion in Canadian imports (beyond products announced August 2003)
was halted until the October 2003 rule was finalized.8 APHIS’s final rule in the
January 4, 2005 Federal Register permits, among other things, imports of live
cattle under 30 months old. Specifically, the rule creates a new category of
“minimal risk” BSE regions — including those in which BSE-infected animals have
been diagnosed but where sufficient regulatory measures have been in place to
ensure that the introduction of BSE into the United States is unlikely. The rule
further classifies Canada in this category, the first such region to qualify,
based on what USDA declared was “a thorough risk analysis.”
Five days before the March 7, 2005, effective date for the rule, a Montana
federal judge ordered a delay until he could hold a trial on the merits of a new
R-CALF lawsuit, charging that USDA had made several procedural and substantive
mistakes in this rulemaking. A federal appeals court overruled the Montana
judge’s decision in July 2005, and cattle imports from Canada soon resumed (see
below).
USDA had unveiled the final rule as Canada (in early January 2005)
confirmed it had two more BSE cases, in an Alberta dairy cow born before a 1997
ban on feeding most ruminant materials back to ruminants was published, and in
an Alberta beef cow born in March 1998 after the feed ban. Another case was
reported by Canada in January 2006, in an Alberta crossbreed cow born in 2000,
also after the feed ban. Canadian officials said use of contaminated feed was
the most likely cause in all cases. Canadian and U.S. government teams had each
conducted a review of the Canadian feed ban, and in March 2005 both reported
that the ban was effective. Still, critics have questioned those assessments,
given that several Canadian cases were born and contracted the disease after the
feed ban.
A number of producers and others continue to oppose the entry of Canadian
beef and particularly live cattle. Many say they remain worried about the impact
on U.S. farm prices as large numbers of cattle again cross the border from
Canada, which has reported eight BSE cases, five of them in 2006. Some also
argue that opening the border to what they believe are potentially risky
Canadian animals undermines efforts to regain the Japanese and Korean markets.
Others counter that moving forward with the Canada rule was necessary for the
United States to convince other countries that North American beef
CRS-5
is safe, that U.S. and Canadian safeguards are sound, and that all
countries should, like the United States, base their import policies on
thorough, scientific risk assessments. Canada historically has exported around
60% of its beef production, and the United States has taken 80%-90% of such
exports. Canadian fed steer (slaughter-ready steer) prices had declined
substantially from the high US$70s per cwt. before the May 2003 BSE announcement
to the mid-US$30s shortly afterward. Canadian producers were losing between $100
and $200, and in some cases, $300 per head, according to Cattle- Fax, a
marketing information service associated with the industry. Cattle prices
climbed through fall 2003, but generally were in the US$50-$60 per cwt. range
during much of 2004. They reached US$70s per cwt. during 2005.
Canadian cattle inventory numbers had increased after May 2003, because
producers were not permitted to export live animals to the United States and
lacked adequate capacity to slaughter them, Cattle-Fax and USDA had observed.
Canada then added 30,000 head per week to its total slaughter capacity, a 22%
increase in 2004 alone, two meat industry officials told the House Agriculture
Committee at a March 1, 2005, hearing. This increase is likely to be permanent
and place U.S.-based packers at a competitive disadvantage, because they will
not have access to the cattle that Canada will kill rather than export to their
plants, meat industry and USDA officials argued.
After the ban on younger Canadian cattle was lifted in July, the United
States imported 558,000 head in 2005. A recent report (September 2006) by the
FAS agricultural attache in Canada has estimated that 2006 live cattle imports
would be 910,000 head — lower than earlier forecast, due partly to increased
slaughter capacity in Canada and partly to weaker demand in the United
States.
In 2006, USDA has been preparing a proposed rule to permit imports of
Canadian cattle over 30 months old. This so-called “Minimal Risk Rule #2”
purportedly was slowed while USDA reviewed Canada’s latest BSE case, which
occurred in a cow born long after Canada’s own 1997 “feed ban.” Increased
Canadian access to U.S. markets for live, older cattle would seem to depend in
part on adoption of this rule. Expanded exports of live cattle that would ensue
from this rule change could result in additional declines in Canadian slaughter
rates.
In Congress. In the 109th Congress, the Senate passed a resolution
(S.J.Res. 4) to disapprove the 2005 Canada import rule, by a vote of 52-46. A
related resolution (H.J.Res. 23) did not reach the House floor for a vote in
2005. Other bills addressing the 2005 rule included H.R. 187, to prohibit the
rule “unless United States access to major markets for United States exports of
cattle and beef products is equivalent or better than the access status accorded
such exports as of January 1, 2003”; and H.R. 384/S. 108, to prohibit the Canada
rule unless mandatory retail country-of-origin labeling (COOL) is implemented.
The current statutorily set deadline for COOL for fresh meats is September 30,
2008 (see CRS Report 97-508, Country-of-Origin Labeling for Foods). S. 294 would
have prohibited imports (from a minimal risk region like Canada) of meat, meat
byproducts, and meat food products from bovines over 30 months old unless the
Secretary reports to Congress that the region “is in full compliance with a
ruminant feed ban and other [BSE] safeguards.” New bills are possible in the
100th Congress.
CRS-6 9 Sources for this section include USDA/ERS, Livestock, Dairy, and
Poultry Outlook, various issues, the ERS website (see footnote 2), and ERS, U.S.
2003 and 2004 Livestock and Poultry Trade Influenced by Animal Disease and Trade
Restrictions (LDPM-120-01), July 2004. 10 The Kansas State study can be found at
[http://www.agmanager.info/livestock/marketing/bulletins%5F2/industry/demand/EconomicImpactofBSEonUSBeefIndustry.pdf].
Related U.S. Price and Trade Impacts9
Industry analysts believe that the BSE expe rience has been much less
devastating economically in the United States than it has been in other
countries. One reason is that the United States, learning from Europe, was able
to put BSE safeguards into place prior to its own first case. Also, the U.S.
beef industry is much less dependent on export demand than the Canadians,
cushioning the price effects. Before the BSE events, Canada exported 37% of its
beef production, whereas the United States exported 9%.
In 2003, the U.S. ban on Canadian beef and cattle, coupled with already
tight U.S. supplies and strong demand, had driven up U.S. beef and cattle prices
substantially. After the December 2003 BSE case was announced, cattle prices
fell. However, they had stabilized by early January 2004. Industry analysts
reported that U.S. domestic demand (both retail and restaurant, including
fast-food hamburger sales) appeared to be holding steady. That, combined with
lower U.S. cattle inventories due in part to widespread drought in cattle
country, kept cattle and beef prices high during 2004, helping to offset the
effects of the BSE-related foreign bans. USDA reported that average U.S. fed
steer (i.e., slaughter-ready cattle) prices were nearly $85 per cwt. for all of
2004, compared with average fed steer prices of $85 in 2003 and $67 in
2002.
Nonetheless, foreign import bans mean the domestic market had to absorb
some 23 million more pounds of beef weekly or 1.2 billion pounds annually due to
lost exports, according to Cattle-Fax. Exports of by-products like collagen,
sausage casings, brains, other organs, tongue, tails, and tendons (all adding
value to each animal) also were affected by the bans on U.S. beef products. In
Japan, as noted, other countries, particularly Australia, have filled U.S. lost
market share.
A study by researchers at Kansas State University of the impact that BSE
has had on the U.S. beef industry found that average U.S. wholesale boxed beef
prices during 2004 were 12 to 17 cents per pound lower than they would have been
if all the export markets had been open. The loss of beef export markets also
meant that by-product prices were lower than they would have been. The total
estimated U.S. beef industry losses attributable to the loss of beef and
by-product exports in 2004 ranged from $3.2 to $4.7 billion, according to the
study.10
USDA’s November 2006 outlook and situation reports estimate that U.S. beef
and veal exports have climbed from 209,000 MT and 3% of world market share in
2004, to 523,000 MT and 7% of world market share in 2006. Cattle prices averaged
more than $85 per cwt. in 2006, and were predicted to be $82-$88 per cwt. in
2007.
CANADA BSE TSE PRION
Confirmed Cases of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in 2015
BSE is a reportable disease under the Health of Animals Regulations. This
means that all suspected cases must be reported to the CFIA.
Current as of: 2015-11-30
The following table lists individual animals confirmed to be infected with
BSE in Canada in 2015.
Date confirmed
Location
Animal type infected
Age of Animal
February 11 Alberta Beef cow 70 months
Monday, November 30, 2015
*** Report on the Investigation of the Nineteenth Case of Bovine
Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in Canada November 2015 ***
Herds infected with Chronic Wasting Disease in Canada in 2015
The CFIA works with provincial governments and industry to conduct regular
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) surveillance. Ongoing provincial surveillance for
CWD varies with each particular province's perceived threat and infection
status. Testing is mandatory in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Yukon;
it is voluntary, completed by random submission, or organized through policy in
other provinces and territories.
In addition, CWD is a reportable disease under the Health of Animals
Regulations. This means that all suspected cases must be reported to the CFIA.
Current as of: 2015-11-30
Domestic cervid herds confirmed to be infected with CWD in Canada in 2015
Date confirmed
Location
Animal type infected
November 25 Saskatchewan Deer
July 16 Alberta Elk
June 11 Saskatchewan Elk
April 9 Saskatchewan Deer
March 19 Saskatchewan Elk
January 16 Alberta Elk
Flocks infected with Scrapie in Canada in 2015
The CFIA, in co-operation with provincial governments and industry,
launched a national scrapie surveillance program in 2005. Under the program,
producers are encouraged to report animals that die on the farm or exhibit
symptoms of the disease.
In addition, scrapie is a reportable disease under the Health of Animals
Regulations. This means that all suspected cases must be reported to the CFIA.
Current as of: 2015-11-30
Sheep flocks and/or goat herds confirmed to be infected with classical
scrapie in Canada in 2015
Date confirmed
Location
Animal type infected
January 5 Ontario Goat
May 22 Quebec Sheep
June 16 Ontario Sheep
Friday, July 10, 2015
CANADA TRANSMISSIBLE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHY TSE PRION UPDATE
Monday, February 23, 2015
20th BSE Case Raises New Concerns about Canada's Feeding Practices and
Voluntary Testing Program; Highlights Importance of COOL
Friday, February 20, 2015
A BSE CANADIAN COW MAD COW UPDATE Transcript - Briefing (February 18,
2015)
Saturday, February 14, 2015
Canadian Food Inspection Agency Confirms Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
(BSE) in Alberta
SNIP...see more TSE prion stats from Canada with CJD update as well...
Friday, July 10, 2015
CANADA TRANSMISSIBLE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHY TSE PRION UPDATE
EDMONTON - Some of former Alberta premier Ralph Klein's most colourful
quotes — and the reactions they elicited:
SNIP...
"This all came about through the discovery of a single, isolated case of
mad cow disease in one Alberta cow on May 20th. The farmer — I think he was a
Louisiana fish farmer who knew nothing about cattle ranching. I guess any
self-respecting rancher would have shot, shovelled and shut up, but he didn't do
that." — Klein recalls how the mad cow crisis started and rancher Marwyn
Peaster's role. The premier was speaking at the Western Governors Association
meeting in Big Sky, Mont. September 2004.
"The premier meant that in an ironic or almost a sarcastic way." — Klein
spokesman Gordon Turtle.
---
"You would have to eat 10 billion meals of brains, spinal cords, ganglia,
eyeballs and tonsils." — Klein speaking in Montreal in January 2005 on the risk
of humans contracting mad cow disease.
---
"I would offer $5 billion to have a Japanese person to come over here and
eat nothing but Alberta beef for a year. And if he gets mad cow disease, I would
be glad to give him $5 billion — make it $10 billion — Canadian." — Klein
speaking after Japan closed its borders to Canadian beef.
---
Increased Atypical Scrapie Detections
Press reports indicate that increased surveillance is catching what
otherwise would have been unreported findings of atypical scrapie in sheep. In
2009, five new cases have been reported in Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, and
Saskatchewan. With the exception of Quebec, all cases have been diagnosed as
being the atypical form found in older animals. Canada encourages producers to
join its voluntary surveillance program in order to gain scrapie-free status.
The World Animal Health will not classify Canada as scrapie-free until no new
cases are reported for seven years. The Canadian Sheep Federation is calling on
the government to fund a wider surveillance program in order to establish the
level of prevalence prior to setting an eradication date. Besides long-term
testing, industry is calling for a compensation program for farmers who report
unusual deaths in their flocks.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
atypical Nor-98 Scrapie has spread from coast to coast in the USA 2012
NIAA Annual Conference April 11-14, 2011San Antonio, Texas
Thursday, February 10, 2011
TRANSMISSIBLE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHY REPORT UPDATE CANADA FEBRUARY 2011
and how to hide mad cow disease in Canada Current as of: 2011-01-31
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
REPORT ON THE INVESTIGATION OF THE SIXTEENTH CASE OF BOVINE SPONGIFORM
ENCEPHALOPATHY (BSE) IN CANADA
Thursday, August 19, 2010
REPORT ON THE INVESTIGATION OF THE SEVENTEENTH CASE OF BOVINE SPONGIFORM
ENCEPHALOPATHY (BSE) IN CANADA
Friday, March 4, 2011
Alberta dairy cow found with mad cow disease
Sunday, May 27, 2012
CANADA PLANS TO IMPRISON ANYONE SPEAKING ABOUT MAD COW or ANY OTHER DISEASE
OUTBREAK, CENSORSHIP IS A TERRIBLE THING
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Canadian veterinarian fined after approving banned BSE high risk cattle for
export to U.S.A.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
CANADA 19 cases of mad cow disease SCENARIO 4: ‘WE HAD OUR CHANCE AND WE
BLEW IT’
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Canada, U.S. agree on animal-disease measures to protect trade, while
reducing human and animal health protection
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Canada, USA, Bad feed, mad cows: Why we know three BSE cases had a common
origin and why the SSS policy is in full force $$$
Saturday, September 12, 2015
The Canadian Management of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy in Historical
and Scientific Perspective, 1990-2014
>>>We propose that Canadian policies largely ignored the implicit
medical nature of BSE, treating it as a purely agricultural and veterinary
issue. In this way, policies to protect Canadians were often delayed and
incomplete, in a manner disturbingly reminiscent of Britain’s failed management
of BSE. Despite assurances to the contrary, it is premature to conclude that BSE
(and with it the risk of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease) is a thing of
Canada’s past: BSE remains very much an issue in Canada’s present.
<<<
Friday, January 10, 2014
USDA AUDIT ON CANADA'S MEAT INSPECTION DISTURBING (pot calling kettle black
again) US audit finds Canada's meat inspections wanting
Canada's food inspection agency received the lowest possible passing
grade—"adequate"—from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) in its latest
audit of practices surrounding meat, poultry, and eggs, according to a Food
Safety News (FSN) story today.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) needs to improve its oversight
of practices at meat facilities concerning hazard analysis and critical control
points (HACCP) and of sanitation and humane animal handling. The CFIA said it
has taken corrective action after being informed of the report, FSN report.
The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) conducted the audit
from Oct 22 to Nov 9, 2012, but the USDA released the report just last month.
FSIS inspectors visited two red-meat slaughterhouses, four meat-processing
facilities that produce ready-to-eat meat products, and an egg-processing
facility. Inspectors also visited five Canadian government food safety agencies
and two private laboratories.
The inspectors found a lack of HACCP compliance and noted concerns over
sanitation and humane handling at a beef slaughter plant that was involved in an
expansive recall in 2010. They also found poor sanitation practices at a pig
slaughterhouse.
Because of the results of the audit, food imported to the United States
from Canada will be subject to closer scrutiny than food from countries with
higher-rated food safety systems, FSN reported.
Jan 8 FSN story
Full USDA audit report
Current as of: 2015-01-31 Sheep flocks and/or goat herds confirmed to be
infected with classical scrapie in Canada in 2015 Date confirmed Location Animal
type infected January 5 Ontario Goat
CANADA SRM
Working Group Report on
the Assessment of the Geographical BSE-Risk (GBR) of
CANADA
2004
snip...
- 2 -
2. EXTERNAL CHALLENGES
2.1 Import of cattle from BSE-Risk2 countries
An overview of the data on live cattle imports is presented in table 1 and
is based on
data as provided in the country dossier (CD) and corresponding data on
relevant exports
as available from BSE risk countries that exported to Canada. Only data
from risk
periods are indicated, i.e. those periods when exports from a BSE risk
country already
represented an external challenge, according to the SSC opinion on the GBR
(SSC July
2000 and updated January 2002).
• According to the CD, 231 cattle were imported from UK during the years
1980 to
1990 and no cattle imports from UK were recorded after 1990.
• According to Eurostat, altogether 198 cattle have been imported from the
UK during
the years 1980 to 1990, Additionally 500 were recorded in 1993; this import
is
1 For the purpose of the GBR assessment the abbreviation "MBM" refers to
rendering products, in particular
the commodities Meat and Bone Meal as such; Meat Meal; Bone Meal; and
Greaves. With regard to imports
it refers to the customs code 230110 "flours, meals and pellets, made from
meat or offal, not fit for human
2 BSE-Risk countries are all countries already assessed as GBR III or IV or
with at least one confirmed
Annex to the EFSA Scientific Report (2004) 2, 1-14 on the Assessment of
the
Geographical BSE Risk of Canada
- 3 -
mentioned in Eurostat and the updated UK export statistic as male calves,
but not
mentioned in the original UK export statistics. According to the CD,
detailed
investigations were carried out and it is very unlikely that the 500 calves
have been
imported. Therefore, they were not taken into account.
• According to the CD, in 1990 all cattle imported from UK and Ireland
since 1982
were placed in a monitoring program.
• Following the occurrence of the BSE index case in 1993 (imported from UK
in 1987
at the age of 6 months), an attempt was made to trace all other cattle
imported from
UK between 1982 and 1990.
• Of the 231 cattle imported from the UK between 1980 and 1990, 108 animals
had
been slaughtered and 9 had died. From the remaining, 37 were exported, 76
were
sent to incineration and one was buried; these were not entering the
rendering system
and therefore not taken into account.
• According to the CD, 16 cattle were imported from Ireland (according to
Eurostat
20), of which 9 were slaughtered, 3 died. The remaining 4 were incinerated
and did
therefore not enter the rendering system. According to the CD, the 6
animals which
were imported in 1990 according to Eurostat, were never imported.
• Moreover 22 cattle have been imported from Japan (through USA), of which
4 were
exported (excluded from the table) and 14 were destroyed and therefore not
entering
the rendering system, 4 were slaughtered.
• Of 28 imported bovines from Denmark, 1 was destroyed and 1 was exported.
Of the
19 buffalos imported in 2000, 1 was incinerated and the others were ordered
to be
destroyed.
• Additionally in total 264 cattle according to the CD (276 according to
other sources)
were imported from Austria, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, The
Netherlands and
Switzerland.
• The numbers imported according to the CD and Eurostat are very similar.
Some
discrepancies in the year of import can be explained by an extended
quarantine;
therefore it is likely that imports according to Eurostat in 1980 and
imports
according to the CD in 1981 are referring to the same animals.
• Additionally, between 16.000 and 340.000 bovines have annually been
imported
from US, almost all are steers and heifers. In total, between 1981 and
2003,
according to the CD more than 2.3 million, according to other sources 1.5
million
cattle have been imported.
• According to the CD, feeder/slaughter cattle represent typically more
than 90% of
the imported cattle from the USA; therefore, only 10% of the imported
cattle have
been taken into account.
snip...
Annex to the EFSA Scientific Report (2004) 2, 1-15 on the Assessment of
the
Geographical BSE Risk of Canada
2.2 Import of MBM or MBM-containing feedstuffs from BSE-Risk
countries
An overview of the data on MBM imports is presented in table 2 and is based
on data
provided in the country dossier (CD) and corresponding data on relevant
exports as
available from BSE risk countries that exported to Canada. Only data from
risk periods
are indicated, i.e. those periods when exports from a BSE risk country
already
represented an external challenge, according to the SSC opinion on the GBR
(SSC, July
2000 and updated January 2002).
According to the CD, no imports of MBM took place from UK since 1978
(initially
because of FMD regulations).
• According to Eurostat data, Canada imported 149 tons MBM from the UK in
the
period of 1993 to 2001. According to up-dated MBM statistics from UK
(August
2001) no mammalian MBM was exported to Canada from 1993 – 1996. As it
was
illegal to export mammalian meat meal, bone meal and MBM from UK
since
27/03/1996, exports indicated after that date should only have included
nonmammalian
MBM. Therefore, these imports were not taken into account.
• According to the CD, imports of MBM have taken place from Denmark,
Germany,
France, Japan and US.
• According to Eurostat Canada imported MBM from Denmark, Belgium, France
and
Ireland.
• According to the CD further investigations concluded that all imported
MBM from
Denmark consisted of pork and poultry origin and was directly imported
for
aquaculture, the imported MBM from France was feather meal, the imported
MBM
from Germany was poultry meal for aquaculture and the imported MBM
from
Belgium was haemoglobin; therefore these imports were not taken into
account.
• The main imports of MBM were of US origin, according to the CD around
250.000
tons, according to other sources around 310.000 tons between 1988 and 2003.
snip...
2.3 Overall assessment of the external challenge
The level of the external challenge that has to be met by the BSE/cattle
system is
estimated according to the guidance given by the SSC in its final opinion
on the GBR of
July 2000 (as updated in January 2002).
Live cattle imports:
In total the country imported according to the CD more than 2.3 million,
according to
other data 1.5 million live cattle from BSE risk countries, of which 231
(CD)
respectively 698 (other sources) came from the UK. The numbers shown in
table 1 are
the raw import figures and are not reflecting the adjusted imports for the
assessment of
the external challenge. Broken down to 5 year periods the resulting
external challenge is
as given in table 3. This assessment takes into account the different
aspects discussed
above that allow to assume that certain imported cattle did not enter the
domestic
BSE/cattle system, i.e. were not rendered into feed. In the case of Canada,
the 500 cattle
imported from UK according to Eurostat were not taken into account and it
is assumed
that all incinerated, buried, exported animals and the animals still alive
did not enter the
rendering system and were therefore excluded from the external
challenge.
MBM imports:
In total the country imported according to the CD around 300.000 tons,
according to
other sources nearly 360.000 tons of MBM from BSE risk countries, of which
149 tons
came from the UK. The majority consisted of MBM imported from the US.
The
numbers shown in table 2 are the raw import figures and are not reflecting
the adjusted
imports for the assessment of the external challenge. Broken down to 5 year
periods the
resulting external challenge is as given in table 3. This assessment takes
into account
the different aspects discussed above that allow to assume that certain
imported MBM
did not enter the domestic BSE/cattle system or did not represent an
external challenge
for other reasons. As it was illegal to export mammalian meat meal, bone
meal and
MBM from UK since 27/03/1996, exports indicated after that date should only
have
included non-mammalian MBM. In the case of Canada all imported MBM from
UK,
Germany, Belgium, Denmark and France was not taken into account.
snip...
3. STABILITY
3.1 Overall appreciation of the ability to avoid recycling of BSE
infectivity, should it enter processing
Feeding
The annual Canadian production of MBM is approximately 575,000 tons of
which
approx. 40,000 tons are exported each year, mainly to USA.
Use of MBM in cattle feed
• Before the feed ban, dairy cattle received supplementary feed containing
MBM
during their productive life (maximum 200-400 g MBM per day). Beef cattle
in the
western part of the country do not usually receive complementary feed. Beef
cattle
in the eastern part receive normally no supplement protein but the calves
could have
access to creep feeds containing MBM, after weaning the ratios may have
contained
supplemental protein containing MBM (100-400 g per day).
• According to the CD, MBM is mainly fed to pigs and poultry and included
in pet
food.
• According to the CD, only a proportion of dairy cattle may have received
MBM.
Feed bans
• Before 1997, there was no legal restriction to include MBM into cattle
feed.
• An MBM-ban was introduced in August 1997; it is forbidden since to
feed
mammalian MBM to ruminants except if of pure porcine, equine and non
mammalian origin, i.e. in practice a ruminant-to-ruminant ban
(RMBM-ban).
Annex to the EFSA Scientific Report (2004) 2, 1-15 on the Assessment of
the
Geographical BSE Risk of Canada
- 9 -
Potential for cross-contamination and measures taken against
• Cross-contamination in the about 600 feed mills is assumed to be possible
as long as
cattle and pig feed is produced in the same production lines, and
premises.
• Cross-contamination during transport is possible, particularly if the
same trucks are
used for transporting ruminant MBM (RMBM) and non-ruminant MBM (porcine
or
poultry MBM which still might be included into cattle feed) or for
transporting
pig/poultry feed and cattle feed.
• On-farm cross-contamination is regarded to be possible.
• Cross-contamination of cattle feed with RMBM can not be excluded. Hence,
as
reasonable worst case scenario, it has to be assumed that cattle, in
particular dairy
cattle, can still be exposed to RMBM and hence to BSE-infectivity, should
it enter
the feed chain.
Control of Feed bans and cross-contamination
• With the introduction of the RMBM ban (1997) the feed mills
(approximately 600)
were checked for compliance with the ban, including good manufacturing
practices
(GMP) and record keeping, i.e. the separation in production of MBM
containing
ruminant material (RMBM) from non-ruminant MBM.
• The feed mills had previously – since 1983 – been regularly checked in
relation to
production of medicated feed.
• No examinations are performed to assess cross-contamination with RMBM of
the
protein (e.g. non ruminant MBM) that enters cattle feed. Differentiation
would
anyway be difficult.
Rendering
Raw material used for rendering
• Ruminant material is rendered together with material from other species,
but
according to the CD only in the production of MBM prohibited for use in
ruminant
feeds.
• Slaughter by-products, including specified risk material (SRM) and fallen
stock are
rendered.
• The country expert estimated that 20% of the rendering plants, processing
20% of
the total amount of raw material, are connected to slaughterhouses. Their
raw
material is more than 98 % animal waste from these slaughterhouses while
less than
2 % is fallen stock. No estimation was given for the remaining 80% of the
rendering
capacity.
• There are 32 rendering plants of which 3 are processing blood
exclusively.
Rendering processes
• The rendering systems (parameters) were specified for 6 plants producing
mixed
MBM, none of these fulfilled the 133/20/3 standard. Of these, 5 have
dedicated
facilities to produce products for use in ruminant feed and products not
permitted for
use in ruminant feed.
• The remaining plants process porcine or poultry material
exclusively.
SRM and fallen stock
• There is an SRM ban for human food in place since 2003.
Annex to the EFSA Scientific Report (2004) 2, 1-15 on the Assessment of
the
Geographical BSE Risk of Canada
- 10 -
• However, SRM are rendered together with other slaughter waste and fallen
stock.
However, according to the CD, MBM with SRM is not permitted to be fed
to
ruminants.
Conclusion on the ability to avoid recycling
• Between 1980 and 1997 the Canadian system would not have been able to
avoid
recycling of the BSE-agent to any measurable extent. If the BSE-agent
was
introduced into the feed chain, it could have reached cattle.
• Since 1997 this ability gradually improved with the introduction of the
ruminant
MBM ban and its implementation.
• Since cross-contamination cannot be excluded, and as SRM is still
rendered by
processes unable to significantly reduce BSE-infectivity, the system is
still unable to
avoid recycling of BSE-infectivity already present in the system or
incoming.
3.2 Overall appreciation of the ability to identify BSE-cases and to
eliminate animals at risk of being infected before they are processed
Cattle population structure
• Cattle population: 12.15 Million in 1988 increasing to 14.6 Million in
2001;
• Of the total cattle population, 2.2 million are dairy cattle and 12.4
million are beef.
• The cattle population above 24 months of age: approx. 6.0 Million.
• Of the approximately 2.2 Million dairy cattle 2 Million are located in
the two eastern
provinces Ontario and Quebec.
• Mixed farming (cattle and mono-gastric species) is usually not practiced;
the
country expert estimated the proportion of mixed farming to be less than
1%.
• Individual regions traditionally have ID systems under provincial
authorities. Brand
inspectors are present when cattle are assembled. It is estimated by the
Canadians
that the level of a national, uniform ID for cattle is less than 10%; most
of those
individual pedigree animals. Mandatory ID for the milk-fed veal sector
was
implemented in Quebec in 1996, but does not contain information on the herd
of
origin. An agreement of the relevant industries to develop a national
cattle ID and
trace back strategy was reached on 1 May 1998 (starting in 2001).Since
2002, a
national identification program is existing. Al cattle leaving any farm
premises must
be uniquely identified by ear tag.
BSE surveillance
• BSE was made notifiable in 1990.
• Every cow over one year of age exhibiting central nervous system signs
suggestive
of BSE submitted to a laboratory or presented at an abattoir is subjected
to a BSE
laboratory diagnostic test (histology and over the past years also
PrPSc-based
laboratory tests).
• In addition, cattle submitted for rabies examination and found rabies
negative are
examined for BSE. Samples are prepared immediately upon arrival to the
federal
laboratory responsible for the rabies diagnostic for possible later BSE
examination,
i.e. formalin fixation.
• Since the 1940’s, a rabies control program has been in place, where
farmers,
veterinarians and the general public are well educated about this
neurological
Annex to the EFSA Scientific Report (2004) 2, 1-15 on the Assessment of
the
Geographical BSE Risk of Canada
- 11 -
disease. In 1990, when BSE was made notifiable, this awareness was extended
to
suspicions of BSE.
• Since 1993 the number of brains examined per year did exceed the
number
recommended by OIE (300 - 336 for countries with a cattle population over
24
months of age of 5.0 to 7.0 Million) in all years, except in 1995 (table
4).
year 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
samples 225 645 426 269 454 759 940 895 1´020 1´581 3´377 3´361
Table 4: Number of bovine brains annually examined for CNS diseases,
including BSE.
• According to the CD approx. 98% of the examined cattle were older than 24
months
and approx. 90% exhibited neurological symptoms. Although the
identification
system of Canada does not document the birth date or age of the animals,
according
to the CD, examination of the dentition is used to ascertain the maturity
of the
animals.
• The list of neurological differential diagnoses for the 754 brains
examined in 1997
included encephalitis (70 cases), encephalomalacia (19), hemophilus
(7),
hemorrhage (2), listeriosis (38), meningoencephalitis (36), rabies (22),
tumors (2),
other conditions (135) and no significant findings (423).
• Compensation is paid for suspect BSE cases as well as for animals ordered
to be
destroyed (90-95% of market value with a maximum of 2,500 Can$ per
cow).
• Diagnostic criteria developed in the United Kingdom are followed at
ADRI,
Nepean. According to the very detailed protocol for the collection,
fixation and
submission of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) specimens at
abattoirs
under inspection by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the specimen shall
be
shipped to National Center for Foreign Animal Disease, Winnipeg,
Manitoba.
• In 2003, around 3000 animals from risk populations have been
tested.
• According to the CD, it is aimed to test a minimum of 8000 risk animals
(animals
with clinical signs consistent with BSE, downer cows, animals died on farm
animals
diseased or euthanized because of serious illness) in 2004 and then
continue to
progressively increase the level of testing to 30,000.
• In May 2003, Canada reported its first case of domestic BSE. A second
case was
detected in the US on 23 December 2003 and traced back to Canadian origin.
Both
were born before the feed ban and originated from Western Canada.
3.3 Overall assessment of the stability
For the overall assessment of the stability, the impact of the three main
stability factors
(i.e. feeding, rendering and SRM-removal) and of the additional stability
factor,
surveillance, has to be estimated. Again, the guidance provided by the SSC
in its
opinion on the GBR of July 2000 (as updated January 2002) is applied.
Feeding
Until 1997, it was legally possible to feed ruminant MBM to cattle and a
certain fraction of
cattle feed (for calves and dairy cattle) is assumed to have contained MBM.
Therefore
feeding was "Not OK". In August 1997 a ruminant MBM ban was introduced but
feeding
of non-ruminant MBM to cattle remained legal as well as feeding of ruminant
MBM to
non-ruminant animals. This makes control of the feed ban very difficult
because laboratory
differentiation between ruminant and non ruminant MBM is difficult if not
impossible.
Annex to the EFSA Scientific Report (2004) 2, 1-15 on the Assessment of
the
Geographical BSE Risk of Canada
Due to the highly specialised production system in Canada, various
mammalian MBM
streams can be separated. Such a feed ban would therefore be assessed as
"reasonably
OK", for all regions where this highly specialised system exists. However,
several areas
in Canada do have mixed farming and mixed feed mills, and in such regions,
an RMBM
ban would not suffice. Additionally, official controls for cattle feeds to
control for the
compliance with the ban were not started until the end of 2003. Thus, for
the whole
country, the assessment of the feeding after 1997 remains "Not OK".
Rendering
The rendering industry is operating with processes that are not known to
reduce infectivity.
It is therefore concluded that the rendering was and is "Not OK".
SRM-removal
SRM and fallen stock were and are rendered for feed. Therefore SRM-removal
is assessed
as "Not OK"
snip...
4.2 Risk that BSE infectivity entered processing
A certain risk that BSE-infected cattle entered processing in Canada, and
were at least
partly rendered for feed, occurred in the early 1990s when cattle imported
from UK in
the mid 80s could have been slaughtered. This risk continued to exist, and
grew
significantly in the mid 90’s when domestic cattle, infected by imported
MBM, reached
processing. Given the low stability of the system, the risk increased over
the years with
continued imports of cattle and MBM from BSE risk countries.
4.3 Risk that BSE infectivity was recycled and propagated
A risk that BSE-infectivity was recycled and propagated exists since a
processing risk
first appeared; i.e. in the early 90s. Until today this risk persists and
increases fast
because of the extremely unstable BSE/cattle system in Canada.
5. CONCLUSION ON THE GEOGRAPHICAL BSE-RISK
5.1 The current GBR as function of the past stability and challenge
The current geographical BSE-risk (GBR) level is III, i.e. it is confirmed
at a lower level
that domestic cattle are (clinically or pre-clinically) infected with the
BSE-agent.
This assessment deviates from the previous assessment (SSC opinion, 2000)
because at
that time several exporting countries were not considered a potential
risk.
snip...
full text;
EFSA Scientific Report on the Assessment of the Geographical BSE-Risk
(GBR) of the United States of America (USA) Publication date: 20 August 2004
Adopted July 2004 (Question N° EFSA-Q-2003-083)
Report
Summary Summary of the Scientific Report
The European Food Safety Authority and its Scientific Expert Working Group
on the Assessment of the Geographical Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)
Risk (GBR) were asked by the European Commission (EC) to provide an up-to-date
scientific report on the GBR in the United States of America, i.e. the
likelihood of the presence of one or more cattle being infected with BSE,
pre-clinically as well as clinically, in USA. This scientific report addresses
the GBR of USA as assessed in 2004 based on data covering the period 1980-2003.
The BSE agent was probably imported into USA and could have reached
domestic cattle in the middle of the eighties. These cattle imported in the mid
eighties could have been rendered in the late eighties and therefore led to an
internal challenge in the early nineties. It is possible that imported meat and
bone meal (MBM) into the USA reached domestic cattle and leads to an internal
challenge in the early nineties.
A processing risk developed in the late 80s/early 90s when cattle imports
from BSE risk countries were slaughtered or died and were processed (partly)
into feed, together with some imports of MBM. This risk continued to exist, and
grew significantly in the mid 90’s when domestic cattle, infected by imported
MBM, reached processing. Given the low stability of the system, the risk
increased over the years with continued imports of cattle and MBM from BSE risk
countries.
EFSA concludes that the current GBR level of USA is III, i.e. it is likely
but not confirmed that domestic cattle are (clinically or pre-clinically)
infected with the BSE-agent. As long as there are no significant changes in
rendering or feeding, the stability remains extremely/very unstable. Thus, the
probability of cattle to be (pre-clinically or clinically) infected with the
BSE-agent persistently increases.
SUMMARY
Summary of Scientific Report http://www.efsa.eu.int 1 of 1 Scientific
Report of the European Food Safety Authority on the Assessment of the
Geographical BSE-Risk (GBR) of United States of America (USA) Question N°
EFSA-Q-2003-083 Adopted July 2004 Summary of scientific report The European Food
Safety Authority and its Scientific Expert Working Group on the Assessment of
the Geographical Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) Risk (GBR) were asked by
the European Commission (EC) to provide an up-to-date scientific report on the
GBR in the United States of America, i.e. the likelihood of the presence of one
or more cattle being infected with BSE, pre-clinically as well as clinically, in
USA. This scientific report addresses the GBR of USA as assessed in 2004 based
on data covering the period 1980-2003. The BSE agent was probably imported into
USA and could have reached domestic cattle in the middle of the eighties. These
cattle imported in the mid eighties could have been rendered in the late
eighties and therefore led to an internal challenge in the early nineties. It is
possible that imported meat and bone meal (MBM) into the USA reached domestic
cattle and leads to an internal challenge in the early nineties. A processing
risk developed in the late 80s/early 90s when cattle imports from BSE risk
countries were slaughtered or died and were processed (partly) into feed,
together with some imports of MBM. This risk continued to exist, and grew
significantly in the mid 90’s when domestic cattle, infected by imported MBM,
reached processing. Given the low stability of the system, the risk increased
over the years with continued imports of cattle and MBM from BSE risk countries.
EFSA concludes that the current GBR level of USA is III, i.e. it is likely but
not confirmed that domestic cattle are (clinically or pre-clinically) infected
with the BSE-agent. As long as there are no significant changes in rendering or
feeding, the stability remains extremely/very unstable. Thus, the probability of
cattle to be (pre-clinically or clinically) infected with the BSE-agent
persistently increases. Key words: BSE, geographical risk assessment, GBR, USA,
third countries
REPORT (6 PAGES)
snip...
EFSA Scientific Report (2004) 3, 1-6 on the Assessment of the Geographical
BSE Risk of Conclusions The European Food Safety Authority concludes: 1. The BSE
agent was probably imported into USA and could have reached domestic cattle in
the middle of the eighties. This cattle imported in the mid eighties could have
been rendered in the late eighties and therefore led to an internal challenge in
the early nineties. It is possible that meat and bone meal (MBM) imported into
the USA reached domestic cattle and lead to an internal challenge in the early
nineties. 2. A processing risk developed in the late 80s/early 90s when cattle
imports from BSE risk countries were slaughtered or died and were processed
(partly) into feed, together with some imports of MBM. This risk continued to
exist, and grew significantly in the mid 90’s when domestic cattle, infected by
imported MBM, reached processing. Given the low stability of the system, the
risk increased over the years with continued imports of cattle and MBM from BSE
risk countries. 3. The current geographical BSE risk (GBR) level is III, i.e. it
is likely but not confirmed that domestic cattle are (clinically or
pre-clinically) infected with the BSE-agent. 4. This assessment deviates from
the previous assessment (SSC opinion, 2000) because at that time several
exporting countries were not considered a potential risk. 5. It is also worth
noting that the current GBR conclusions are not dependent on the large exchange
of imports between USA and Canada. External challenge due to exports to the USA
from European countries varied from moderate to high. These challenges indicate
that it was likely that BSE infectivity was introduced into the North American
continent. 6. EFSA and its Scientific Expert Working group on GBR are concerned
that the available information was not confirmed by inspection missions as
performed by the Food and Veterinary office (FVO – DG SANCO) in Member States
and other third countries. They recommend including, as far as feasible,
BSE-related aspects in future inspection missions. Expected development of the
GBR As long as there are no significant changes in rendering or feeding, the
stability remains extremely/very unstable. Thus, the probability of cattle to be
(pre-clinically or clinically) infected with the BSE-agent persistently
increases. A table summarising the reasons for the current assessment is given
in the table below
snip...
EFSA Scientific Report on the Assessment of the Geographical BSE-Risk (GBR)
of Mexico Last updated: 08 September 2004 Adopted July 2004 (Question N°
EFSA-Q-2003-083)
Report
http://www.efsa.eu.int 3 of 6
Conclusions The European Food Safety Authority concludes: 1. The BSE agent was
probably imported into Mexico and could have reached domestic cattle. These
cattle imported could have been rendered and therefore led to an internal EFSA
Scientific Report (2004) 4, 1-6 on the Assessment of the Geographical BSE Risk
of challenge in the mid to late 1990’s. It is possible that imported MBM into
Mexico reached domestic cattle and leads to an internal challenge around 1993.
2. It is likely that BSE infectivity entered processing at the time of imported
‘at - risk’ MBM (1993) and at the time of slaughter of imported live ‘at - risk’
cattle (mid to late 1990s). The high level of external challenge is maintained
throughout the reference period, and the system has not been made stable. Thus
it is likely that BSE infectivity was recycled and propagated from approximately
1993. The risk has since grown consistently due to a maintained internal and
external challenge and lack of a stable system. 3. The current geographical BSE
risk (GBR) level is III, i.e. it is likely but not confirmed that domestic
cattle are (clinically or pre-clinically) infected with the BSE-agent. 4. EFSA
and its Scientific Expert Working group on GBR are concerned that the available
information was not confirmed by inspection missions as performed by the Food
and Veterinary office (FVO – DG SANCO) in Member States and other third
countries. They recommend including, as far as feasible, BSE-related aspects in
future inspection missions.
Summary
Summary of Scientific Report http://www.efsa.eu.int 1 of 2 Scientific
Report of the European Food Safety Authority on the Assessment of the
Geographical BSE-Risk (GBR) of MEXICO Question N° EFSA-Q-2003-083 Adopted July
2004 SUMMARY OF SCIENTIFIC REPORT The European Food Safety Authority and its
Scientific Expert Working Group on the Assessment of the Geographical Bovine
Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) Risk (GBR) were asked by the European Commission
(EC) to provide an up-to-date scientific report on the GBR in Mexico, i.e. the
likelihood of the presence of one or more cattle being infected with BSE,
pre-clinically as well as clinically, in Mexico. This scientific report
addresses the GBR of Mexico as assessed in 2004 based on data covering the
period 1980-2003. The BSE agent was probably imported into Mexico and could have
reached domestic cattle. These cattle imported could have been rendered and
therefore led to an internal challenge in the mid to late 1990s. It is possible
that imported meat and bone meal (MBM) into Mexico reached domestic cattle and
leads to an internal challenge around 1993. It is likely that BSE infectivity
entered processing at the time of imported ‘at - risk’ MBM (1993) and at the
time of slaughter of imported live ‘at - risk’ cattle (mid to late 1990s). The
high level of external challenge is maintained throughout the reference period,
and the system has not been made stable. Thus it is likely that BSE infectivity
was recycled and propagated from approximately 1993. The risk has since grown
consistently due to a maintained internal and external challenge and lack of a
stable system. EFSA concludes that the current geographical BSE risk (GBR) level
is III, i.e. it is likely but not confirmed that domestic cattle are (clinically
or pre-clinically) infected with the BSEagent. The GBR is likely to increase due
to continued internal and external challenge, coupled with a very unstable
system. Key words: BSE, geographical risk assessment, GBR, Mexico, third
countries Summary of Scientific Report http://www.efsa.eu.int 2 of 2
Summary of the Scientific Report
The European Food Safety Authority and its Scientific Expert Working Group
on the Assessment of the Geographical Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)
Risk (GBR) were asked by the European Commission (EC) to provide an up-to-date
scientific report on the GBR in Mexico, i.e. the likelihood of the presence of
one or more cattle being infected with BSE, pre-clinically as well as
clinically, in Mexico. This scientific report addresses the GBR of Mexico as
assessed in 2004 based on data covering the period 1980-2003.
The BSE agent was probably imported into Mexico and could have reached
domestic cattle. These cattle imported could have been rendered and therefore
led to an internal challenge in the mid to late 1990s. It is possible that
imported meat and bone meal (MBM) into Mexico reached domestic cattle and leads
to an internal challenge around 1993.
It is likely that BSE infectivity entered processing at the time of
imported ‘at - risk’ MBM (1993) and at the time of slaughter of imported live
‘at - risk’ cattle (mid to late 1990s). The high level of external challenge is
maintained throughout the reference period, and the system has not been made
stable. Thus it is likely that BSE infectivity was recycled and propagated from
approximately 1993. The risk has since grown consistently due to a maintained
internal and external challenge and lack of a stable system.
EFSA concludes that the current geographical BSE risk (GBR) level is III,
i.e. it is likely but not confirmed that domestic cattle are (clinically or
pre-clinically) infected with the BSE-agent. The GBR is likely to increase due
to continued internal and external challenge, coupled with a very unstable
system.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
CANADA MBM LIVE CATTLE BSE TSE PRION TO USA
Date: Sat, 14 Jun 2003 02:23:12 +0200
Reply-To: Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
Sender: Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Alberta Canada First case of chronic wasting disease found in farm elk
since 2002
O.05: Transmission of prions to primates after extended silent incubation
periods: Implications for BSE and scrapie risk assessment in human populations
Emmanuel Comoy, Jacqueline Mikol, Val erie Durand, Sophie Luccantoni,
Evelyne Correia, Nathalie Lescoutra, Capucine Dehen, and Jean-Philippe Deslys
Atomic Energy Commission; Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
Prion diseases (PD) are the unique neurodegenerative proteinopathies
reputed to be transmissible under field conditions since decades. The
transmission of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) to humans evidenced that
an animal PD might be zoonotic under appropriate conditions. Contrarily, in the
absence of obvious (epidemiological or experimental) elements supporting a
transmission or genetic predispositions, PD, like the other proteinopathies, are
reputed to occur spontaneously (atpical animal prion strains, sporadic CJD
summing 80% of human prion cases). Non-human primate models provided the first
evidences supporting the transmissibiity of human prion strains and the zoonotic
potential of BSE. Among them, cynomolgus macaques brought major information for
BSE risk assessment for human health (Chen, 2014), according to their
phylogenetic proximity to humans and extended lifetime. We used this model to
assess the zoonotic potential of other animal PD from bovine, ovine and cervid
origins even after very long silent incubation periods. *** We recently observed
the direct transmission of a natural classical scrapie isolate to macaque after
a 10-year silent incubation period, ***with features similar to some reported
for human cases of sporadic CJD, albeit requiring fourfold longe incubation than
BSE. Scrapie, as recently evoked in humanized mice (Cassard, 2014), ***is the
third potentially zoonotic PD (with BSE and L-type BSE), ***thus questioning the
origin of human sporadic cases. We will present an updated panorama of our
different transmission studies and discuss the implications of such extended
incubation periods on risk assessment of animal PD for human health.
===============
***thus questioning the origin of human sporadic cases...TSS
===============
==========================================
***our findings suggest that possible transmission risk of H-type BSE to
sheep and human. Bioassay will be required to determine whether the PMCA
products are infectious to these animals.
==========================================
Research Project: TRANSMISSION, DIFFERENTIATION, AND PATHOBIOLOGY OF
TRANSMISSIBLE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHIES
*** Title: Transmission of scrapie prions to primate after an extended
silent incubation period
Authors
item Comoy, Emmanuel - item Mikol, Jacqueline - item Luccantoni-Freire,
Sophie - item Correia, Evelyne - item Lescoutra-Etchegaray, Nathalie - item
Durand, Valérie - item Dehen, Capucine - item Andreoletti, Olivier - item
Casalone, Cristina - item Richt, Juergen item Greenlee, Justin item Baron,
Thierry - item Benestad, Sylvie - item Hills, Bob - item Brown, Paul - item
Deslys, Jean-Philippe -
Submitted to: Scientific Reports Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: May 28, 2015 Publication Date: June 30, 2015
Citation: Comoy, E.E., Mikol, J., Luccantoni-Freire, S., Correia, E.,
Lescoutra-Etchegaray, N., Durand, V., Dehen, C., Andreoletti, O., Casalone, C.,
Richt, J.A., Greenlee, J.J., Baron, T., Benestad, S., Brown, P., Deslys, J.
2015. Transmission of scrapie prions to primate after an extended silent
incubation period. Scientific Reports. 5:11573.
Interpretive Summary:
The transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (also called prion diseases)
are fatal neurodegenerative diseases that affect animals and humans. The agent
of prion diseases is a misfolded form of the prion protein that is resistant to
breakdown by the host cells. Since all mammals express prion protein on the
surface of various cells such as neurons, all mammals are, in theory, capable of
replicating prion diseases. One example of a prion disease, bovine spongiform
encephalopathy (BSE; also called mad cow disease), has been shown to infect
cattle, sheep, exotic undulates, cats, non-human primates, and humans when the
new host is exposed to feeds or foods contaminated with the disease agent. The
purpose of this study was to test whether non-human primates (cynomologous
macaque) are susceptible to the agent of sheep scrapie. After an incubation
period of approximately 10 years a macaque developed progressive clinical signs
suggestive of neurologic disease. Upon postmortem examination and microscopic
examination of tissues, there was a widespread distribution of lesions
consistent with a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy. This information will
have a scientific impact since it is the first study that demonstrates the
transmission of scrapie to a non-human primate with a close genetic relationship
to humans. This information is especially useful to regulatory officials and
those involved with risk assessment of the potential transmission of animal
prion diseases to humans.
Technical Abstract:
Classical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (c-BSE) is an animal prion
disease that also causes variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans. Over the
past decades, c-BSE's zoonotic potential has been the driving force in
establishing extensive protective measures for animal and human health. In
complement to the recent demonstration that humanized mice are susceptible to
scrapie, we report here the first observation of direct transmission of a
natural classical scrapie isolate to a macaque after a 10-year incubation
period. Neuropathologic examination revealed all of the features of a prion
disease: spongiform change, neuronal loss, and accumulation of PrPres throughout
the CNS.
***This observation strengthens the questioning of the harmlessness of
scrapie to humans, at a time when protective measures for human and animal
health are being dismantled and reduced as c-BSE is considered controlled and
being eradicated. Our results underscore the importance of precautionary and
protective measures and the necessity for long-term experimental transmission
studies to assess the zoonotic potential of other animal prion strains.
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Evidence for zoonotic potential of ovine scrapie prions
Hervé Cassard,1, n1 Juan-Maria Torres,2, n1 Caroline Lacroux,1, Jean-Yves
Douet,1, Sylvie L. Benestad,3, Frédéric Lantier,4, Séverine Lugan,1, Isabelle
Lantier,4, Pierrette Costes,1, Naima Aron,1, Fabienne Reine,5, Laetitia
Herzog,5, Juan-Carlos Espinosa,2, Vincent Beringue5, & Olivier
Andréoletti1, Affiliations Contributions Corresponding author Journal name:
Nature Communications Volume: 5, Article number: 5821 DOI:
doi:10.1038/ncomms6821 Received 07 August 2014 Accepted 10 November 2014
Published 16 December 2014 Article tools Citation Reprints Rights &
permissions Article metrics
Abstract
Although Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) is the cause of variant
Creutzfeldt Jakob disease (vCJD) in humans, the zoonotic potential of scrapie
prions remains unknown. Mice genetically engineered to overexpress the human
prion protein (tgHu) have emerged as highly relevant models for gauging the
capacity of prions to transmit to humans. These models can propagate human
prions without any apparent transmission barrier and have been used used to
confirm the zoonotic ability of BSE. Here we show that a panel of sheep scrapie
prions transmit to several tgHu mice models with an efficiency comparable to
that of cattle BSE. The serial transmission of different scrapie isolates in
these mice led to the propagation of prions that are phenotypically identical to
those causing sporadic CJD (sCJD) in humans. These results demonstrate that
scrapie prions have a zoonotic potential and raise new questions about the
possible link between animal and human prions.
Subject terms: Biological sciences• Medical research At a glance
*** In complement to the recent demonstration that humanized mice are
susceptible to scrapie, we report here the first observation of direct
transmission of a natural classical scrapie isolate to a macaque after a 10-year
incubation period. Neuropathologic examination revealed all of the features of a
prion disease: spongiform change, neuronal loss, and accumulation of PrPres
throughout the CNS.
*** This observation strengthens the questioning of the harmlessness of
scrapie to humans, at a time when protective measures for human and animal
health are being dismantled and reduced as c-BSE is considered controlled and
being eradicated.
*** Our results underscore the importance of precautionary and protective
measures and the necessity for long-term experimental transmission studies to
assess the zoonotic potential of other animal prion strains.
Prion. 10:S15-S21. 2016 ISSN: 1933-6896 printl 1933-690X online
Taylor & Francis
Prion 2016 Animal Prion Disease Workshop Abstracts
WS-01: Prion diseases in animals and zoonotic potential
Juan Maria Torres a, Olivier Andreoletti b, J uan-Carlos Espinosa a.
Vincent Beringue c. Patricia Aguilar a,
Natalia Fernandez-Borges a. and Alba Marin-Moreno a
"Centro de Investigacion en Sanidad Animal ( CISA-INIA ). Valdeolmos,
Madrid. Spain; b UMR INRA -ENVT 1225 Interactions Holes Agents Pathogenes. ENVT.
Toulouse. France: "UR892. Virologie lmmunologie MolécuIaires, Jouy-en-Josas.
France
Dietary exposure to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) contaminated
bovine tissues is considered as the origin of variant Creutzfeldt Jakob (vCJD)
disease in human. To date, BSE agent is the only recognized zoonotic prion.
Despite the variety of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE) agents that
have been circulating for centuries in farmed ruminants there is no apparent
epidemiological link between exposure to ruminant products and the occurrence of
other form of TSE in human like sporadic Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease (sCJD).
However, the zoonotic potential of the diversity of circulating TSE agents has
never been systematically assessed. The major issue in experimental assessment
of TSEs zoonotic potential lies in the modeling of the ‘species barrier‘, the
biological phenomenon that limits TSE agents’ propagation from a species to
another. In the last decade, mice genetically engineered to express normal forms
of the human prion protein has proved essential in studying human prions
pathogenesis and modeling the capacity of TSEs to cross the human species
barrier.
To assess the zoonotic potential of prions circulating in farmed ruminants,
we study their transmission ability in transgenic mice expressing human PrPC
(HuPrP-Tg). Two lines of mice expressing different forms of the human PrPC
(129Met or 129Val) are used to determine the role of the Met129Val dimorphism in
susceptibility/resistance to the different agents.
These transmission experiments confirm the ability of BSE prions to
propagate in 129M- HuPrP-Tg mice and demonstrate that Met129 homozygotes may be
susceptible to BSE in sheep or goat to a greater degree than the BSE agent in
cattle and that these agents can convey molecular properties and
neuropathological indistinguishable from vCJD. However homozygous 129V mice are
resistant to all tested BSE derived prions independently of the originating
species suggesting a higher transmission barrier for 129V-PrP variant.
Transmission data also revealed that several scrapie prions propagate in
HuPrP-Tg mice with efficiency comparable to that of cattle BSE. While the
efficiency of transmission at primary passage was low, subsequent passages
resulted in a highly virulent prion disease in both Met129 and Val129 mice.
Transmission of the different scrapie isolates in these mice leads to the
emergence of prion strain phenotypes that showed similar characteristics to
those displayed by MM1 or VV2 sCJD prion. These results demonstrate that scrapie
prions have a zoonotic potential and raise new questions about the possible link
between animal and human prions.
why do we not want to do TSE transmission studies on chimpanzees $
5. A positive result from a chimpanzee challenged severly would likely
create alarm in some circles even if the result could not be interpreted for
man. I have a view that all these agents could be transmitted provided a large
enough dose by appropriate routes was given and the animals kept long enough.
Until the mechanisms of the species barrier are more clearly understood it might
be best to retain that hypothesis.
snip...
R. BRADLEY
SCRAPIE AND CWD ZOONOSIS
PRION 2016 CONFERENCE TOKYO
Saturday, April 23, 2016
*** SCRAPIE WS-01: Prion diseases in animals and zoonotic potential 2016
***
Prion. 10:S15-S21. 2016 ISSN: 1933-6896 printl 1933-690X
Transmission of scrapie prions to primate after an extended silent
incubation period
***Moreover, sporadic disease has never been observed in breeding colonies
or primate research laboratories, most notably among hundreds of animals over
several decades of study at the National Institutes of Health25, and in nearly
twenty older animals continuously housed in our own facility.***
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
CWD, SCRAPIE, ZOONOSIS, it’s for real folks, the risk factors have
increased greatly, and science has spoken, cwd and scrapie to humans as sporadic
cjd may have already happened.
Transmission of scrapie prions to primate after an extended silent
incubation period
Emmanuel E. Comoy , Jacqueline Mikol , Sophie Luccantoni-Freire , Evelyne
Correia , Nathalie Lescoutra-Etchegaray , Valérie Durand , Capucine Dehen ,
Olivier Andreoletti , Cristina Casalone , Juergen A. Richt , Justin J. Greenlee
, Thierry Baron , Sylvie L. Benestad , Paul Brown & Jean-Philippe Deslys
Abstract
Classical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (c-BSE) is the only animal prion
disease reputed to be zoonotic, causing variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD)
in humans and having guided protective measures for animal and human health
against animal prion diseases. Recently, partial transmissions to humanized mice
showed that the zoonotic potential of scrapie might be similar to c-BSE. We here
report the direct transmission of a natural classical scrapie isolate to
cynomolgus macaque, a highly relevant model for human prion diseases, after a
10-year silent incubation period, with features similar to those reported for
human cases of sporadic CJD. Scrapie is thus actually transmissible to primates
with incubation periods compatible with their life expectancy, although fourfold
longer than BSE. Long-term experimental transmission studies are necessary to
better assess the zoonotic potential of other prion diseases with high
prevalence, notably Chronic Wasting Disease of deer and elk and atypical/Nor98
scrapie.
snip...
In addition to previous studies on scrapie transmission to primate1,8,9 and
the recently published study on transgenic humanized mice13, our results
constitute new evidence for recommending that the potential risk of scrapie for
human health should not be dismissed. Indeed, human PrP transgenic mice and
primates are the most relevant models for investigating the human transmission
barrier. To what extent such models are informative for measuring the zoonotic
potential of an animal TSE under field exposure conditions is unknown. During
the past decades, many protective measures have been successfully implemented to
protect cattle from the spread of c-BSE, and some of these measures have been
extended to sheep and goats to protect from scrapie according to the principle
of precaution. Since cases of c-BSE have greatly reduced in number, those
protective measures are currently being challenged and relaxed in the absence of
other known zoonotic animal prion disease. We recommend that risk managers
should be aware of the long term potential risk to human health of at least
certain scrapie isolates, notably for lymphotropic strains like the classical
scrapie strain used in the current study. Relatively high amounts of infectivity
in peripheral lymphoid organs in animals infected with these strains could lead
to contamination of food products produced for human consumption. Efforts should
also be maintained to further assess the zoonotic potential of other animal
prion strains in long-term studies, notably lymphotropic strains with high
prevalence like CWD, which is spreading across North America, and atypical/Nor98
scrapie (Nor98)50 that was first detected in the past two decades and now
represents approximately half of all reported cases of prion diseases in small
ruminants worldwide, including territories previously considered as scrapie
free. Even if the prevailing view is that sporadic CJD is due to the spontaneous
formation of CJD prions, it remains possible that its apparent sporadic nature
may, at least in part, result from our limited capacity to identify an
environmental origin.
***Moreover, sporadic disease has never been observed in breeding colonies
or primate research laboratories, most notably among hundreds of animals over
several decades of study at the National Institutes of Health25, and in nearly
twenty older animals continuously housed in our own facility.***
PRION 2016 TOKYO
Zoonotic Potential of CWD Prions: An Update
Ignazio Cali1, Liuting Qing1, Jue Yuan1, Shenghai Huang2, Diane Kofskey1,3,
Nicholas Maurer1, Debbie McKenzie4, Jiri Safar1,3,5, Wenquan Zou1,3,5,6,
Pierluigi Gambetti1, Qingzhong Kong1,5,6
1Department of Pathology, 3National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance
Center, 5Department of Neurology, 6National Center for Regenerative Medicine,
Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
4Department of Biological Sciences and Center for Prions and Protein
Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada,
2Encore Health Resources, 1331 Lamar St, Houston, TX 77010
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a widespread and highly transmissible
prion disease in free-ranging and captive cervid species in North America. The
zoonotic potential of CWD prions is a serious public health concern, but the
susceptibility of human CNS and peripheral organs to CWD prions remains largely
unresolved. We reported earlier that peripheral and CNS infections were detected
in transgenic mice expressing human PrP129M or PrP129V. Here we will present an
update on this project, including evidence for strain dependence and influence
of cervid PrP polymorphisms on CWD zoonosis as well as the characteristics of
experimental human CWD prions.
PRION 2016 TOKYO
In Conjunction with Asia Pacific Prion Symposium 2016
PRION 2016 Tokyo
Prion 2016
Prion 2016
Purchase options Price * Issue Purchase USD 198.00
Cervid to human prion transmission
Kong, Qingzhong
Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
Abstract
Prion disease is transmissible and invariably fatal. Chronic wasting
disease (CWD) is the prion disease affecting deer, elk and moose, and it is a
widespread and expanding epidemic affecting 22 US States and 2 Canadian
provinces so far. CWD poses the most serious zoonotic prion transmission risks
in North America because of huge venison consumption (>6 million deer/elk
hunted and consumed annually in the USA alone), significant prion infectivity in
muscles and other tissues/fluids from CWD-affected cervids, and usually high
levels of individual exposure to CWD resulting from consumption of the affected
animal among often just family and friends. However, we still do not know
whether CWD prions can infect humans in the brain or peripheral tissues or
whether clinical/asymptomatic CWD zoonosis has already occurred, and we have no
essays to reliably detect CWD infection in humans. We hypothesize that:
(1) The classic CWD prion strain can infect humans at low levels in the
brain and peripheral lymphoid tissues;
(2) The cervid-to-human transmission barrier is dependent on the cervid
prion strain and influenced by the host (human) prion protein (PrP) primary
sequence;
(3) Reliable essays can be established to detect CWD infection in
humans;and
(4) CWD transmission to humans has already occurred. We will test these
hypotheses in 4 Aims using transgenic (Tg) mouse models and complementary in
vitro approaches.
Aim 1 will prove that the classical CWD strain may infect humans in brain
or peripheral lymphoid tissues at low levels by conducting systemic bioassays in
a set of "humanized" Tg mouse lines expressing common human PrP variants using a
number of CWD isolates at varying doses and routes. Experimental "human CWD"
samples will also be generated for Aim 3.
Aim 2 will test the hypothesis that the cervid-to-human prion transmission
barrier is dependent on prion strain and influenced by the host (human) PrP
sequence by examining and comparing the transmission efficiency and phenotypes
of several atypical/unusual CWD isolates/strains as well as a few prion strains
from other species that have adapted to cervid PrP sequence, utilizing the same
panel of humanized Tg mouse lines as in Aim 1.
Aim 3 will establish reliable essays for detection and surveillance of CWD
infection in humans by examining in details the clinical, pathological,
biochemical and in vitro seeding properties of existing and future experimental
"human CWD" samples generated from Aims 1-2 and compare them with those of
common sporadic human Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD) prions.
Aim 4 will attempt to detect clinical CWD-affected human cases by examining
a significant number of brain samples from prion-affected human subjects in the
USA and Canada who have consumed venison from CWD-endemic areas utilizing the
criteria and essays established in Aim 3. The findings from this proposal will
greatly advance our understandings on the potential and characteristics of
cervid prion transmission in humans, establish reliable essays for CWD zoonosis
and potentially discover the first case(s) of CWD infection in humans.
Public Health Relevance There are significant and increasing human exposure
to cervid prions because chronic wasting disease (CWD, a widespread and highly
infectious prion disease among deer and elk in North America) continues
spreading and consumption of venison remains popular, but our understanding on
cervid-to-human prion transmission is still very limited, raising public health
concerns. This proposal aims to define the zoonotic risks of cervid prions and
set up and apply essays to detect CWD zoonosis using mouse models and in vitro
methods. The findings will greatly expand our knowledge on the potentials and
characteristics of cervid prion transmission in humans, establish reliable
essays for such infections and may discover the first case(s) of CWD infection
in humans.
Funding Agency Agency National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Type Research Project (R01)
Project # 1R01NS088604-01A1
Application # 9037884
Study Section Cellular and Molecular Biology of Neurodegeneration Study
Section (CMND)
Program Officer Wong, May
Project Start 2015-09-30
Project End 2019-07-31
Budget Start 2015-09-30
Budget End 2016-07-31
Support Year 1
Fiscal Year 2015
Total Cost $337,507
Indirect Cost $118,756
Institution
Name Case Western Reserve University
Department Pathology
Type Schools of Medicine
DUNS # 077758407
City Cleveland
State OH
Country United States
Zip Code 44106
===========================================================
We hypothesize that:
(1) The classic CWD prion strain can infect humans at low levels in the
brain and peripheral lymphoid tissues;
(2) The cervid-to-human transmission barrier is dependent on the cervid
prion strain and influenced by the host (human) prion protein (PrP) primary
sequence;
(3) Reliable essays can be established to detect CWD infection in
humans;and
(4) *** CWD transmission to humans has already occurred. *** We will test
these hypotheses in 4 Aims using transgenic (Tg) mouse models and complementary
in vitro approaches.
============================================================
Key Molecular Mechanisms of TSEs
Zabel, Mark D.
Colorado State University-Fort Collins, Fort Collins, CO, United States
Abstract Prion diseases, or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs),
are fatal neurodegenerative diseases affecting humans, cervids, bovids, and
ovids. The absolute requirement of PrPC expression to generate prion diseases
and the lack of instructional nucleic acid define prions as unique infectious
agents. Prions exhibit species-specific tropism, inferring that unique prion
strains exist that preferentially infct certain host species and confront
transmission barriers to heterologous host species. However, transmission
barriers are not absolute. Scientific consensus agrees that the sheep TSE
scrapie probably breached the transmission barrier to cattle causing bovine
spongiform encephalopathy that subsequently breached the human transmission
barrier and likely caused several hundred deaths by a new-variant form of the
human TSE Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in the UK and Europe. The impact to human
health, emotion and economies can still be felt in areas like farming, blood and
organ donations and the threat of a latent TSE epidemic. This precedent raises
the real possibility of other TSEs, like chronic wasting disease of cervids,
overcoming similar human transmission barriers. A groundbreaking discovery made
last year revealed that mice infected with heterologous prion strains facing
significant transmission barriers replicated prions far more readily in spleens
than brains6. Furthermore, these splenic prions exhibited weakened transmission
barriers and expanded host ranges compared to neurogenic prions. These data
question conventional wisdom of avoiding neural tissue to avoid prion
xenotransmission, when more promiscuous prions may lurk in extraneural tissues.
Data derived from work previously funded by NIH demonstrate that Complement
receptors CD21/35 bind prions and high density PrPC and differentially impact
prion disease depending on the prion isolate or strain used. Recent advances in
live animal and whole organ imaging have led us to generate preliminary data to
support novel, innovative approaches to assessing prion capture and transport.
We plan to test our unifying hypothesis for this proposal that CD21/35 control
the processes of peripheral prion capture, transport, strain selection and
xenotransmission in the following specific aims. 1. Assess the role of CD21/35
in splenic prion strain selection and host range expansion. 2. Determine whether
CD21/35 and C1q differentially bind distinct prion strains 3. Monitor the
effects of CD21/35 on prion trafficking in real time and space 4. Assess the
role of CD21/35 in incunabular prion trafficking
Public Health Relevance Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, or prion
diseases, are devastating illnesses that greatly impact public health,
agriculture and wildlife in North America and around the world. The impact to
human health, emotion and economies can still be felt in areas like farming,
blood and organ donations and the threat of a latent TSE epidemic. This
precedent raises the real possibility of other TSEs, like chronic wasting
disease (CWD) of cervids, overcoming similar human transmission barriers. Early
this year Canada reported its first case of BSE in over a decade audits first
case of CWD in farmed elk in three years, underscoring the need for continued
vigilance and research. Identifying mechanisms of transmission and zoonoses
remains an extremely important and intense area of research that will benefit
human and other animal populations.
Funding Agency Agency National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type High Priority, Short Term Project Award (R56)
Project # 1R56AI122273-01A1
Application # 9211114
Study Section Cellular and Molecular Biology of Neurodegeneration Study
Section (CMND)
Program Officer Beisel, Christopher E
Project Start 2016-02-16
Project End 2017-01-31
Budget Start 2016-02-16
Budget End 2017-01-31
Support Year 1
Fiscal Year 2016
Total Cost
Indirect Cost Institution Name Colorado State University-Fort Collins
Department Microbiology/Immun/Virology
Type Schools of Veterinary Medicine
DUNS # 785979618 City Fort Collins
State CO
Country United States
Zip Code 80523
PMCA Detection of CWD Infection in Cervid and Non-Cervid Species
Hoover, Edward Arthur
Colorado State University-Fort Collins, Fort Collins, CO, United States
Abstract Chronic wasting disease (CWD) of deer and elk is an emerging highly
transmissible prion disease now recognized in 18 States, 2 Canadian provinces,
and Korea. We have shown that Infected deer harbor and shed high levels of
infectious prions in saliva, blood, urine, and feces, and in the tissues
generating those body fluids and excreta, thereby leading to facile transmission
by direct contact and environmental contamination. We have also shown that CWD
can infect some non-cervid species, thus the potential risk CWD represents to
domestic animal species and to humans remains unknown. Whether prions borne in
blood, saliva, nasal fluids, milk, or excreta are generated or modified in the
proximate peripheral tissue sites, may differ in subtle ways from those
generated in brain, or may be adapted for mucosal infection remain open
questions. The increasing parallels in the pathogenesis between prion diseases
and human neurodegenerative conditions, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's
diseases, add relevance to CWD as a transmissible protein misfolding disease.
The overall goal of this work is to elucidate the process of CWD prion
transmission from mucosal secretory and excretory tissue sites by addressing
these questions: (a) What are the kinetics and magnitude of CWD prion shedding
post-exposure? (b) Are excreted prions biochemically distinct, or not, from
those in the CNS? (c) Are peripheral epithelial or CNS tissues, or both, the
source of excreted prions? and (d) Are excreted prions adapted for horizontal
transmission via natural/trans-mucosal routes? The specific aims of this
proposal are: (1) To determine the onset and consistency of CWD prion shedding
in deer and cervidized mice; (2); To compare the biochemical and biophysical
properties of excretory vs. CNS prions; (3) To determine the capacity of
peripheral tissues to support replication of CWD prions; (4) To determine the
protease- sensitive infectious fraction of excreted vs. CNS prions; and (5) To
compare the mucosal infectivity of excretory vs. CNS prions. Understanding the
mechanisms that enable efficient prion dissemination and shedding will help
elucidate how horizontally transmissible prions evolve and succeed, and is the
basis of this proposal. Understanding how infectious misfolded proteins (prions)
are generated, trafficked, shed, and transmitted will aid in preventing,
treating, and managing the risks associated with these agents and the diseases
they cause.
Public Health Relevance Chronic wasting disease (CWD) of deer and elk is an
emergent highly transmissible prion disease now recognized throughout the USA as
well as in Canada and Korea. We have shown that infected deer harbor and shed
high levels of infectious prions in saliva, blood, urine, and feces thereby
leading to transmission by direct contact and environmental contamination. In
that our studies have also shown that CWD can infect some non-cervid species,
the potential risk CWD may represents to domestic animal species and humans
remains unknown. The increasing parallels in the development of major human
neurodegenerative conditions, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, and
prion diseases add relevance to CWD as a model of a transmissible protein
misfolding disease. Understanding how infectious misfolded proteins (prions) are
generated and transmitted will aid in interrupting, treating, and managing the
risks associated with these agents and the diseases they cause.
Funding Agency Agency National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Type Research Project (R01)
Project # 4R01NS061902-07
Application # 9010980
Study Section Cellular and Molecular Biology of Neurodegeneration Study
Section (CMND)
Program Officer Wong, May Project Start 2009-09-30
Project End 2018-02-28
Budget Start 2016-03-01
Budget End 2017-02-28
Support Year 7
Fiscal Year 2016
Total Cost $409,868
Indirect Cost $134,234 Institution Name Colorado State University-Fort
Collins
Department Microbiology/Immun/Virology
Type Schools of Veterinary Medicine
DUNS # 785979618 City Fort Collins
State CO
Country United States
Zip Code 80523
LOOKING FOR CWD IN HUMANS AS nvCJD or as an ATYPICAL CJD, LOOKING IN ALL
THE WRONG PLACES $$$
*** These results would seem to suggest that CWD does indeed have zoonotic
potential, at least as judged by the compatibility of CWD prions and their human
PrPC target. Furthermore, extrapolation from this simple in vitro assay suggests
that if zoonotic CWD occurred, it would most likely effect those of the PRNP
codon 129-MM genotype and that the PrPres type would be similar to that found in
the most common subtype of sCJD (MM1).***
PRION 2015 CONFERENCE FT. COLLINS CWD RISK FACTORS TO HUMANS
*** LATE-BREAKING ABSTRACTS PRION 2015 CONFERENCE ***
O18
Zoonotic Potential of CWD Prions
Liuting Qing1, Ignazio Cali1,2, Jue Yuan1, Shenghai Huang3, Diane Kofskey1,
Pierluigi Gambetti1, Wenquan Zou1, Qingzhong Kong1 1Case Western Reserve
University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA, 2Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy,
3Encore Health Resources, Houston, Texas, USA
*** These results indicate that the CWD prion has the potential to infect
human CNS and peripheral lymphoid tissues and that there might be asymptomatic
human carriers of CWD infection.
==================
***These results indicate that the CWD prion has the potential to infect
human CNS and peripheral lymphoid tissues and that there might be asymptomatic
human carriers of CWD infection.***
==================
P.105: RT-QuIC models trans-species prion transmission
Kristen Davenport, Davin Henderson, Candace Mathiason, and Edward Hoover
Prion Research Center; Colorado State University; Fort Collins, CO USA
Conversely, FSE maintained sufficient BSE characteristics to more
efficiently convert bovine rPrP than feline rPrP. Additionally, human rPrP was
competent for conversion by CWD and fCWD.
***This insinuates that, at the level of protein:protein interactions, the
barrier preventing transmission of CWD to humans is less robust than previously
estimated.
================
***This insinuates that, at the level of protein:protein interactions, the
barrier preventing transmission of CWD to humans is less robust than previously
estimated.***
================
*** PRICE OF CWD TSE PRION POKER GOES UP 2014 ***
Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy TSE PRION update January 2, 2014
*** chronic wasting disease, there was no absolute barrier to conversion of
the human prion protein.
*** Furthermore, the form of human PrPres produced in this in vitro assay
when seeded with CWD, resembles that found in the most common human prion
disease, namely sCJD of the MM1 subtype.
*** These results would seem to suggest that CWD does indeed have zoonotic
potential, at least as judged by the compatibility of CWD prions and their human
PrPC target. Furthermore, extrapolation from this simple in vitro assay suggests
that if zoonotic CWD occurred, it would most likely effect those of the PRNP
codon 129-MM genotype and that the PrPres type would be similar to that found in
the most common subtype of sCJD (MM1).***
*** The potential impact of prion diseases on human health was greatly
magnified by the recognition that interspecies transfer of BSE to humans by beef
ingestion resulted in vCJD. While changes in animal feed constituents and
slaughter practices appear to have curtailed vCJD, there is concern that CWD of
free-ranging deer and elk in the U.S. might also cross the species barrier.
Thus, consuming venison could be a source of human prion disease. Whether BSE
and CWD represent interspecies scrapie transfer or are newly arisen prion
diseases is unknown. Therefore, the possibility of transmission of prion disease
through other food animals cannot be ruled out. There is evidence that vCJD can
be transmitted through blood transfusion. There is likely a pool of unknown size
of asymptomatic individuals infected with vCJD, and there may be asymptomatic
individuals infected with the CWD equivalent. These circumstances represent a
potential threat to blood, blood products, and plasma supplies.
***********CJD REPORT 1994 increased risk for consumption of veal and
venison and lamb***********
CREUTZFELDT JAKOB DISEASE SURVEILLANCE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM THIRD ANNUAL
REPORT AUGUST 1994
Consumption of venison and veal was much less widespread among both cases
and controls. For both of these meats there was evidence of a trend with
increasing frequency of consumption being associated with increasing risk of
CJD. (not nvCJD, but sporadic CJD...tss)
These associations were largely unchanged when attention was restricted to
pairs with data obtained from relatives. ...
Table 9 presents the results of an analysis of these data.
There is STRONG evidence of an association between ‘’regular’’ veal eating
and risk of CJD (p = .0.01).
Individuals reported to eat veal on average at least once a year appear to
be at 13 TIMES THE RISK of individuals who have never eaten veal.
There is, however, a very wide confidence interval around this estimate.
There is no strong evidence that eating veal less than once per year is
associated with increased risk of CJD (p = 0.51).
The association between venison eating and risk of CJD shows similar
pattern, with regular venison eating associated with a 9 FOLD INCREASE IN RISK
OF CJD (p = 0.04).
There is some evidence that risk of CJD INCREASES WITH INCREASING FREQUENCY
OF LAMB EATING (p = 0.02).
The evidence for such an association between beef eating and CJD is weaker
(p = 0.14). When only controls for whom a relative was interviewed are included,
this evidence becomes a little STRONGER (p = 0.08).
snip...
It was found that when veal was included in the model with another
exposure, the association between veal and CJD remained statistically
significant (p = < 0.05 for all exposures), while the other exposures ceased
to be statistically significant (p = > 0.05).
snip...
In conclusion, an analysis of dietary histories revealed statistical
associations between various meats/animal products and INCREASED RISK OF CJD.
When some account was taken of possible confounding, the association between
VEAL EATING AND RISK OF CJD EMERGED AS THE STRONGEST OF THESE ASSOCIATIONS
STATISTICALLY. ...
snip...
In the study in the USA, a range of foodstuffs were associated with an
increased risk of CJD, including liver consumption which was associated with an
apparent SIX-FOLD INCREASE IN THE RISK OF CJD. By comparing the data from 3
studies in relation to this particular dietary factor, the risk of liver
consumption became non-significant with an odds ratio of 1.2 (PERSONAL
COMMUNICATION, PROFESSOR A. HOFMAN. ERASMUS UNIVERSITY, ROTTERDAM). (???...TSS)
snip...see full report ;
CJD9/10022
October 1994
Mr R.N. Elmhirst Chairman British Deer Farmers Association Holly Lodge
Spencers Lane BerksWell Coventry CV7 7BZ
Dear Mr Elmhirst,
CREUTZFELDT-JAKOB DISEASE (CJD) SURVEILLANCE UNIT REPORT
Thank you for your recent letter concerning the publication of the third
annual report from the CJD Surveillance Unit. I am sorry that you are
dissatisfied with the way in which this report was published.
The Surveillance Unit is a completely independant outside body and the
Department of Health is committed to publishing their reports as soon as they
become available. In the circumstances it is not the practice to circulate the
report for comment since the findings of the report would not be amended. In
future we can ensure that the British Deer Farmers Association receives a copy
of the report in advance of publication.
The Chief Medical Officer has undertaken to keep the public fully informed
of the results of any research in respect of CJD. This report was entirely the
work of the unit and was produced completely independantly of the the
Department.
The statistical results reqarding the consumption of venison was put into
perspective in the body of the report and was not mentioned at all in the press
release. Media attention regarding this report was low key but gave a realistic
presentation of the statistical findings of the Unit. This approach to
publication was successful in that consumption of venison was highlighted only
once by the media ie. in the News at one television proqramme.
I believe that a further statement about the report, or indeed statistical
links between CJD and consumption of venison, would increase, and quite possibly
give damaging credence, to the whole issue. From the low key media reports of
which I am aware it seems unlikely that venison consumption will suffer
adversely, if at all.
http://web.archive.org/web/20030511010117/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1994/10/00003001.pdf
Monday, May 02, 2016
*** Zoonotic Potential of CWD Prions: An Update Prion 2016 Tokyo ***
*** PRION 2014 CONFERENCE CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE CWD
*** PPo3-7: Prion Transmission from Cervids to Humans is Strain-dependent
*** Here we report that a human prion strain that had adopted the cervid
prion protein (PrP) sequence through passage in cervidized transgenic mice
efficiently infected transgenic mice expressing human PrP,
*** indicating that the species barrier from cervid to humans is prion
strain-dependent and humans can be vulnerable to novel cervid prion strains.
PPo2-27:
Generation of a Novel form of Human PrPSc by Inter-species Transmission of
Cervid Prions
*** Our findings suggest that CWD prions have the capability to infect
humans, and that this ability depends on CWD strain adaptation, implying that
the risk for human health progressively increases with the spread of CWD among
cervids.
PPo2-7:
Biochemical and Biophysical Characterization of Different CWD Isolates
*** The data presented here substantiate and expand previous reports on the
existence of different CWD strains.
Envt.07:
Pathological Prion Protein (PrPTSE) in Skeletal Muscles of Farmed and Free
Ranging White-Tailed Deer Infected with Chronic Wasting Disease
***The presence and seeding activity of PrPTSE in skeletal muscle from
CWD-infected cervids suggests prevention of such tissue in the human diet as a
precautionary measure for food safety, pending on further clarification of
whether CWD may be transmissible to humans.
>>>CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE , THERE WAS NO ABSOLUTE BARRIER TO
CONVERSION OF THE HUMAN PRION PROTEIN<<<
*** PRICE OF CWD TSE PRION POKER GOES UP 2014 ***
Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy TSE PRION update January 2, 2014
Wednesday, January 01, 2014
Molecular Barriers to Zoonotic Transmission of Prions
*** chronic wasting disease, there was no absolute barrier to conversion of
the human prion protein.
*** Furthermore, the form of human PrPres produced in this in vitro assay
when seeded with CWD, resembles that found in the most common human prion
disease, namely sCJD of the MM1 subtype.
Thursday, August 25, 2016
TPWD Action Disease Detection and Response – Chronic Wasting Disease TPW
Commission Adopts New CWD Zones, Deer Movement Rules August 25, 2016 This map
shows the recently imposed Surveillance Zone for CWD in portions of Bandera,
Medina and Uvalde counties.
http://www.bccourier.com/Images/Content/240816194814.gif
http://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2016/08/tpwd-action-disease-detection-and.html
Saturday, April 23, 2016
*** SCRAPIE WS-01: Prion diseases in animals and zoonotic potential 2016
***
Prion. 10:S15-S21. 2016 ISSN: 1933-6896 printl 1933-690X
Monday, May 02, 2016
*** Zoonotic Potential of CWD Prions: An Update Prion 2016 Tokyo ***
======================================================
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
*** NIH awards $11 million to UTHealth researchers to study deadly CWD
prion diseases Claudio Soto, Ph.D. ***
Public Release: 29-Jun-2016
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Evidence for zoonotic potential of ovine scrapie prions
Hervé Cassard,1, n1 Juan-Maria Torres,2, n1 Caroline Lacroux,1, Jean-Yves
Douet,1, Sylvie L. Benestad,3, Frédéric Lantier,4, Séverine Lugan,1, Isabelle
Lantier,4, Pierrette Costes,1, Naima Aron,1, Fabienne Reine,5, Laetitia
Herzog,5, Juan-Carlos Espinosa,2, Vincent Beringue5, & Olivier
Andréoletti1, Affiliations Contributions Corresponding author Journal name:
Nature Communications Volume: 5, Article number: 5821 DOI:
doi:10.1038/ncomms6821 Received 07 August 2014 Accepted 10 November 2014
Published 16 December 2014 Article tools Citation Reprints Rights &
permissions Article metrics
Abstract
Although Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) is the cause of variant
Creutzfeldt Jakob disease (vCJD) in humans, the zoonotic potential of scrapie
prions remains unknown. Mice genetically engineered to overexpress the human
prion protein (tgHu) have emerged as highly relevant models for gauging the
capacity of prions to transmit to humans. These models can propagate human
prions without any apparent transmission barrier and have been used used to
confirm the zoonotic ability of BSE. Here we show that a panel of sheep scrapie
prions transmit to several tgHu mice models with an efficiency comparable to
that of cattle BSE. The serial transmission of different scrapie isolates in
these mice led to the propagation of prions that are phenotypically identical to
those causing sporadic CJD (sCJD) in humans. These results demonstrate that
scrapie prions have a zoonotic potential and raise new questions about the
possible link between animal and human prions.
Subject terms: Biological sciences• Medical research At a glance
*** In complement to the recent demonstration that humanized mice are
susceptible to scrapie, we report here the first observation of direct
transmission of a natural classical scrapie isolate to a macaque after a 10-year
incubation period. Neuropathologic examination revealed all of the features of a
prion disease: spongiform change, neuronal loss, and accumulation of PrPres
throughout the CNS.
*** This observation strengthens the questioning of the harmlessness of
scrapie to humans, at a time when protective measures for human and animal
health are being dismantled and reduced as c-BSE is considered controlled and
being eradicated.
*** Our results underscore the importance of precautionary and protective
measures and the necessity for long-term experimental transmission studies to
assess the zoonotic potential of other animal prion strains.
Prion. 10:S15-S21. 2016 ISSN: 1933-6896 printl 1933-690X online
Taylor & Francis
Prion 2016 Animal Prion Disease Workshop Abstracts
WS-01: Prion diseases in animals and zoonotic potential
Juan Maria Torres a, Olivier Andreoletti b, J uan-Carlos Espinosa a.
Vincent Beringue c. Patricia Aguilar a,
Natalia Fernandez-Borges a. and Alba Marin-Moreno a
"Centro de Investigacion en Sanidad Animal ( CISA-INIA ). Valdeolmos,
Madrid. Spain; b UMR INRA -ENVT 1225 Interactions Holes Agents Pathogenes. ENVT.
Toulouse. France: "UR892. Virologie lmmunologie MolécuIaires, Jouy-en-Josas.
France
Dietary exposure to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) contaminated
bovine tissues is considered as the origin of variant Creutzfeldt Jakob (vCJD)
disease in human. To date, BSE agent is the only recognized zoonotic prion.
Despite the variety of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE) agents that
have been circulating for centuries in farmed ruminants there is no apparent
epidemiological link between exposure to ruminant products and the occurrence of
other form of TSE in human like sporadic Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease (sCJD).
However, the zoonotic potential of the diversity of circulating TSE agents has
never been systematically assessed. The major issue in experimental assessment
of TSEs zoonotic potential lies in the modeling of the ‘species barrier‘, the
biological phenomenon that limits TSE agents’ propagation from a species to
another. In the last decade, mice genetically engineered to express normal forms
of the human prion protein has proved essential in studying human prions
pathogenesis and modeling the capacity of TSEs to cross the human species
barrier.
To assess the zoonotic potential of prions circulating in farmed ruminants,
we study their transmission ability in transgenic mice expressing human PrPC
(HuPrP-Tg). Two lines of mice expressing different forms of the human PrPC
(129Met or 129Val) are used to determine the role of the Met129Val dimorphism in
susceptibility/resistance to the different agents.
These transmission experiments confirm the ability of BSE prions to
propagate in 129M- HuPrP-Tg mice and demonstrate that Met129 homozygotes may be
susceptible to BSE in sheep or goat to a greater degree than the BSE agent in
cattle and that these agents can convey molecular properties and
neuropathological indistinguishable from vCJD. However homozygous 129V mice are
resistant to all tested BSE derived prions independently of the originating
species suggesting a higher transmission barrier for 129V-PrP variant.
Transmission data also revealed that several scrapie prions propagate in
HuPrP-Tg mice with efficiency comparable to that of cattle BSE. While the
efficiency of transmission at primary passage was low, subsequent passages
resulted in a highly virulent prion disease in both Met129 and Val129 mice.
Transmission of the different scrapie isolates in these mice leads to the
emergence of prion strain phenotypes that showed similar characteristics to
those displayed by MM1 or VV2 sCJD prion. These results demonstrate that scrapie
prions have a zoonotic potential and raise new questions about the possible link
between animal and human prions.
why do we not want to do TSE transmission studies on chimpanzees $
5. A positive result from a chimpanzee challenged severly would likely
create alarm in some circles even if the result could not be interpreted for
man. I have a view that all these agents could be transmitted provided a large
enough dose by appropriate routes was given and the animals kept long enough.
Until the mechanisms of the species barrier are more clearly understood it might
be best to retain that hypothesis.
snip...
R. BRADLEY
SCRAPIE AND CWD ZOONOSIS
PRION 2016 CONFERENCE TOKYO
Saturday, April 23, 2016
*** SCRAPIE WS-01: Prion diseases in animals and zoonotic potential 2016
***
Prion. 10:S15-S21. 2016 ISSN: 1933-6896 printl 1933-690X
Transmission of scrapie prions to primate after an extended silent
incubation period
***Moreover, sporadic disease has never been observed in breeding colonies
or primate research laboratories, most notably among hundreds of animals over
several decades of study at the National Institutes of Health25, and in nearly
twenty older animals continuously housed in our own facility.***
WS-02
Scrapie in swine: A diagnostic challenge
Justin J Greenlee1, Robert A Kunkle1, Jodi D Smith1, Heather W. Greenlee2
1National Animal Disease Center, US Dept. of Agriculture, Agricultural
Research Service, United States; 2Iowa State University College of Veterinary
Medicine
A naturally occurring prion disease has not been recognized in swine, but
the agent of bovine spongiform encephalopathy does transmit to swine by
experimental routes. Swine are thought to have a robust species barrier when
exposed to the naturally occurring prion diseases of other species, but the
susceptibility of swine to the agent of sheep scrapie has not been thoroughly
tested.
Since swine can be fed rations containing ruminant derived components in
the United States and many other countries, we conducted this experiment to test
the susceptibility of swine to U.S. scrapie isolates by intracranial and oral
inoculation. Scrapie inoculum was a pooled 10% (w/v) homogenate derived from the
brains of clinically ill sheep from the 4th passage of a serial passage study of
the U.S scrapie agent (No. 13-7) through susceptible sheep that were homozygous
ARQ at prion protein residues 136, 154, and 171, respectively. Pigs were
inoculated intracranially (n=19) with a single 0.75 ml dose or orally (n=24)
with 15 ml repeated on 4 consecutive days. Necropsies were done on a subset of
animals at approximately six months post inoculation (PI), at the time the pigs
were expected to reach market weight. Remaining pigs were maintained and
monitored for clinical signs of TSE until study termination at 80 months PI or
when removed due to intercurrent disease (primarily lameness). Brain samples
were examined by immunohistochemistry (IHC), western blot (WB), and
enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Brain tissue from a subset of pigs in
each inoculation group was used for bioassay in mice expressing porcine PRNP.
At six-months PI, no evidence of scrapie infection was noted by any
diagnostic method. However, at 51 months of incubation or greater, 5 animals
were positive by one or more methods: IHC (n=4), WB (n=3), or ELISA (n=5).
Interestingly, positive bioassay results were obtained from all inoculated
groups (oral and intracranial; market weight and end of study).
Swine inoculated with the agent of scrapie by the intracranial and oral
routes do not accumulate abnormal prion protein (PrPSc) to a level detectable by
IHC or WB by the time they reach typical market age and weight. However, strong
support for the fact that swine are potential hosts for the agent of scrapie
comes from positive bioassay from both intracranially and orally inoculated pigs
and multiple diagnostic methods demonstrating abnormal prion protein in
intracranially inoculated pigs with long incubation times.
Curriculum Vitae
Dr. Greenlee is Research Veterinary Medical Officer in the Virus and Prion
Research Unit at the National Animal Disease Center, US Department of
Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. He applies his specialty in
veterinary anatomic pathology to focused research on the intra- and interspecies
transmission of prion diseases in livestock and the development of antemortem
diagnostic assays for prion diseases. In addition, knockout and transgenic mouse
models are used to complement ongoing experiments in livestock species. Dr.
Greenlee has publications in a number of topic areas including prion agent
decontamination, effects of PRNP genotype on susceptibility to the agent of
sheep scrapie, characterization of US scrapie strains, transmission of chronic
wasting disease to cervids and cattle, features of H-BSE associated with the
E211 K polymorphism, and the development of retinal assessment for antemortem
screening for prion diseases in sheep and cattle. Dr. Greenlee obtained his DVM
degree and completed the PhD/residency program in Veterinary Pathology at Iowa
State University. He is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary
Pathologists.
Prion
Volume 9, Issue 4, 2015
Porcine prion protein amyloid
DOI:10.1080/19336896.2015.1065373Per Hammarströma & Sofie Nyströma*
pages 266-277
Received: 1 Jun 2015 Accepted: 17 Jun 2015 Accepted author version posted
online: 28 Jul 2015
© 2015 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group,
LLC Additional license information
ABSTRACT
Mammalian prions are composed of misfolded aggregated prion protein (PrP)
with amyloid-like features. Prions are zoonotic disease agents that infect a
wide variety of mammalian species including humans. Mammals and by-products
thereof which are frequently encountered in daily life are most important for
human health. It is established that bovine prions (BSE) can infect humans while
there is no such evidence for any other prion susceptible species in the human
food chain (sheep, goat, elk, deer) and largely prion resistant species (pig) or
susceptible and resistant pets (cat and dogs, respectively). PrPs from these
species have been characterized using biochemistry, biophysics and neurobiology.
Recently we studied PrPs from several mammals in vitro and found evidence for
generic amyloidogenicity as well as cross-seeding fibril formation activity of
all PrPs on the human PrP sequence regardless if the original species was
resistant or susceptible to prion disease. Porcine PrP amyloidogenicity was
among the studied. Experimentally inoculated pigs as well as transgenic mouse
lines overexpressing porcine PrP have, in the past, been used to investigate the
possibility of prion transmission in pigs. The pig is a species with
extraordinarily wide use within human daily life with over a billion pigs
harvested for human consumption each year. Here we discuss the possibility that
the largely prion disease resistant pig can be a clinically silent carrier of
replicating prions.
SNIP...
CONCLUDING REMARKS Should the topic of porcine PrP amyloid be more of a
worry than of mere academic interest? Well perhaps. Prions are particularly
insidious pathogens. A recent outbreak of peripheral neuropathy in human,
suggests that exposure to aerosolized porcine brain is deleterious for human
health.43,44 Aerosolization is a known vector for prions at least under
experimental conditions.45-47 where a mere single exposure was enough for
transmission in transgenic mice. HuPrP is seedable with BoPrP seeds and even
more so with PoPrP seed (Fig. 1), indicating that humans could be infected by
porcine APrP prions while neurotoxicity associated with spongiform
encephalopathy if such a disease existed is even less clear. Importantly
transgenic mice over-expressing PoPrP are susceptible to BSE and BSE passaged
through domestic pigs implicating that efficient downstream neurotoxicity
pathways in the mouse, a susceptible host for prion disease neurotoxicity is
augmenting the TSE phenotype.25,26 Prions in silent carrier hosts can be
infectious to a third species. Data from Collinge and coworkers.21 propose that
species considered to be prion free may be carriers of replicating prions.
Especially this may be of concern for promiscuous prion strains such as
BSE.19,48 It is rather established that prions can exist in both replicating and
neurotoxic conformations.49,50 and this can alter the way in which new host
organisms can react upon cross-species transmission.51 The na€ıve host can
either be totally resistant to prion infection as well as remain non-infectious,
become a silent non-symptomatic but infectious carrier of disease or be
afflicted by disease with short or long incubation time. The host can harbor
and/or propagate the donor strain or convert the strain conformation to adapt it
to the na€ıve host species. The latter would facilitate infection and shorten
the incubation time in a consecutive event of intra-species transmission. It may
be advisable to avoid procedures and exposure without proper biosafety
precautions as the knowledge of silence carrier species is poor. One case of
iatrogenic CJD in recipient of porcine dura mater graft has been reported in the
literature.52 The significance of this finding is still unknown. The low public
awareness in this matter is exemplified by the practice of using proteolytic
peptide mixtures prepared from porcine brains (Cerebrolysin) as a nootropic
drug. While Cerebrolysin may be beneficial for treatment of severe diseases such
as vascular dementia,53 a long term follow-up of such a product for recreational
use is recommended.
Friday, August 21, 2015
Porcine prion protein amyloid or mad pig disease PSE Porcine Spongiform
Encephalopathy ?
CANADA CJD
CJD
DEATHS REPORTED BY CJDSS, 1994-2016 AS OF JULY 31, 2016 Cases
INCIDENCE
OF CJD DEATHS REPORTED BY CJDSS IN CANADA AS OF JULY 31, 2016
REFERRALS OF SUSPECTED CJD REPORTED BY CJDSS, 1997-2016 AS OF JULY 31, 2016
| Year of Reporting | Number of Referrals |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 4 |
| 1998 | 43 |
| 1999 | 63 |
| 2000 | 82 |
| 2001 | 101 |
| 2002 | 103 |
| 2003 | 75 |
| 2004 | 90 |
| 2005 | 97 |
| 2006 | 80 |
| 2007 | 101 |
| 2008 | 100 |
| 2009 | 104 |
| 2010 | 76 |
| 2011 | 102 |
| 2012 | 103 |
| 2013 | 99 |
| 2014 | 99 |
| 2015 | 80 |
| Total | 1602 |
| Deaths of Definite and Probable CJD | |||||||
| Year | Sporadic | Iatrogenic | Familial | GSS | FFI | vCJD | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cases with definite & probable diagnosis to date. | |||||||
| 1994 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 1995 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 1996 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| 1997 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| 1998 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
| 1999 | 27 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 32 |
| 2000 | 32 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 35 |
| 2001 | 27 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 30 |
| 2002 | 31 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 36 |
| 2003 | 27 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 |
| 2004 | 42 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 44 |
| 2005 | 42 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 44 |
| 2006 | 39 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 44 |
| 2007 | 35 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 39 |
| 2008 | 48 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 49 |
| 2009 | 48 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 53 |
| 2010 | 35 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 |
| 2011 | 46 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 51 |
| 2012 | 62 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 63 |
| 2013 | 50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 51 |
| 2014 | 49 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 54 |
| 2015 | 23 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
| Total | 719 | 4 | 27 | 22 | 3 | 2 | 777 |
CJD Cases by
Province/Territory October 31, 2015
| Year of Death | Total CJD Cases | Population of Canada | Incidence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
Cases with definite & probable diagnosis to
date.2014 Population
Source | |||
| 1999 | 32 | 30,492,106 | 1.05 |
| 2000 | 35 | 30,783,969 | 1.14 |
| 2001 | 30 | 31,130,030 | 0.96 |
| 2002 | 36 | 31,450,443 | 1.14 |
| 2003 | 29 | 31,734,851 | 0.91 |
| 2004 | 44 | 32,037,434 | 1.37 |
| 2005 | 44 | 32,352,233 | 1.36 |
| 2006 | 44 | 32,678,986 | 1.35 |
| 2007 | 39 | 33,001,076 | 1.18 |
| 2008 | 49 | 33,371,810 | 1.47 |
| 2009 | 53 | 33,756,714 | 1.57 |
| 2010 | 38 | 34,131,451 | 1.11 |
| 2011 | 51 | 34,472,304 | 1.48 |
| 2012 | 63 | 34,880,248 | 1.81 |
| 2013 | 51 | 35,289,003 | 1.45 |
| 2014 | 54 | 35,675,834 | 1.51 |
| 2015 | 24 | 35,702,707 | 0.81 |
http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/hcai-iamss/cjd-mcj/cjdss-ssmcj/stats-eng.php
Saturday, March 21, 2015
*** Canada and United States Creutzfeldt Jakob TSE Prion Disease Incidence
Rates Increasing
Saturday, March 21, 2015
***Canada and United States Creutzfeldt Jakob TSE Prion Disease Incidence
Rates Increasing ***
CANADA SEE STEADY INCREASE OF THE SPORADIC CJD’S AND THE VPSPR’S (sporadic
CJD’s). ...tss
PLEASE NOTE, type determination pending Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease (tdpCJD)
in Canada is also on a steady increase.
please see ;
> 3. Final classification of 50 cases from 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 is
pending.
CJD Deaths Reported by CJDSS1, 1994-20122
As of May 31, 2012
Deaths of Definite and Probable CJD
Year Sporadic Iatrogenic Familial GSS FFI vCJD Total
1994 2 0 0 1 0 0 3
1995 3 0 0 0 0 0 3
1996 13 0 0 0 0 0 13
1997 16 0 1 1 0 0 18
1998 22 1 0 1 0 0 24
1999 26 2 2 1 0 0 31
2000 32 0 0 3 0 0 35
2001 27 0 2 1 0 0 30
2002 31 0 2 2 0 1 36
2003 27 1 1 0 0 0 29
2004 42 0 1 0 0 0 43
2005 42 0 0 2 0 0 44
2006 39 0 1 3 1 0 44
2007 35 0 0 4 0 0 39
2008 48 0 1 0 0 0 49
2009 48 0 3 2 0 0 53
2010 34 0 3 0 0 0 37
2011 37 0 2 1 0 1 41
2012 1 0 0 0 0 0 1
Total 525 4 19 22 1 2 573
1. CJDSS began in 1998
2. Data before 1998 are retrospective and partial, data from 1998 to 2008
are complete, and data for 2009 - 2012 are provisional
3. Final classification of 50 cases from 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 is
pending.
CJD Deaths Reported by CJDSS1, 1994-20122
As of May 31, 2012
SEE DECEMBER 2012 CANADA
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Canada Fraser Health Statement on Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease outbreak
P.179: Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in Canada
Zheng Wang,1 Gerard Jansen,1,2 Stacy Sabourin,1 Rolande D’Amour,1 Tim
Connolly,1 Jennifer Kruse,1 David J Knox,3 Neil R Cashman,4 and Michael B
Coulthart1 1The Canadian Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Surveillance System; Public
Health Agency of Canada; Ottawa, ON Canada; 2Department of Pathology; Ottawa
Hospital; Ottawa, ON Canada; 3National Microbiology Laboratory; Public Health
Agency of Canada; Winnipeg, MB Canada; 4Brain Research Centre; University of
British Columbia; Vancouver, BC Canada
Background. Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (sCJD) is a fatal,
transmissible neurodegenerative disease. Systematic surveillance has repeatedly
shown annual mortality in the range 1 to 2 per million population, has
elucidated key characteristics of sCJD, and led to recognition of a new form of
CJD, variant CJD (vCJD), which is associated with BSE. In 1998, Canada launched
comprehensive national CJD surveillance to assess the characteristics of CJD in
Canada, identify any acquired cases of CJD (such as vCJD, of which 2 imported
cases have been identified in Canada to date), and mitigate public health risks.
This study describes the epidemiology of sCJD in Canada from 1998 to 2012.
Methods. Case ascertainment was based on internationally accepted criteria.
Demographic and medical information were collected by standardized questionnaire
and medical chart review. Poisson regression and descriptive analysis were
employed.
Results. A total of 563 sCJD deaths (definite: 462, probable: 101) in
Canadian residents were registered from 1998 to 2012. Average annual sCJD
mortality was 1.2 per million population, increasing gradually from 0.9 in 1999
to 1.7 in 2012 (P = 0.0004). All provinces saw average annual mortalities
ranging from 1.0 to 1.6 (P = 0.25), except three territories where population is
small (~25,000 to ~45,000) and no cases were identified. sCJD occurred at
similar rates in males (1.1) and females (1.2) (P = 0.21). sCJD was rare under
50 years of age with only 11 cases identified (2.7%). Mortality increased after
50 and peaked at 7.4 per million in the 70–74 age group. Median age at death was
69 and median duration of illness was 4 months. Genotype at codon 129 (N = 358)
revealed that the MM subgroup accounted for 223 (62%, median age at death: 69,
duration: 4), the MV subgroup was 82 (23%, median age at death: 68, duration:
9), and the VV subgroup was 53 (23%, median age at death: 66, duration: 5).
Results of molecular typing (Parchi Scheme) for 256 cases are; MM1: 140, MM2:
11, MV1: 28, MV2: 18, VV1: 5, VV2: 25, Mixture: 29.
Conclusion. Characteristics of sCJD in Canada are consistent with those
observed in other countries. The increase in sCJD mortality can be partly
attributed to increased awareness of CJD among Canadian clinicians. These
findings support the conclusion that Canadian CJD surveillance system is
sufficiently sensitive to accurately characterize the epidemiology of sCJD in
Canada, and to detect potential additional cases of acquired CJD such as vCJD or
human chronic wasting disease.
Conclusion. Characteristics of sCJD in Canada are consistent with those
observed in other countries. The increase in sCJD mortality can be partly
attributed to increased awareness of CJD among Canadian clinicians. These
findings support the conclusion that Canadian CJD surveillance system is
sufficiently sensitive to accurately characterize the epidemiology of sCJD in
Canada, and to detect potential additional cases of acquired CJD such as vCJD or
human chronic wasting disease.
HD.18: Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease reporting in Canada
Zheng Wang,1 Gerard H. Jansen,1, 2 Elina Olsen,1 Rolande D’Amour,1 Stacy
Sabourin,1 Tim Connolly,1 Jennifer Kruse,1 Neil Cashman3 and Michael Coulthart1
1Public Health Agency of Canada; Ottawa, ON CA; 2Department of Pathology; Ottawa
Hospital; Ottawa, ON CA; 3Brain Research Centre; University of British Columbia;
Vancouver, BC CA
Background. To deal with risks of infectious transmission of
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), in 1998 the Government of Canada launched a
prospective national CJD surveillance system (CJDSS). In 2000, CJD became
nationally notifiable in Canada, and since then all Canadian Provinces and
Territories (P/Ts) have made CJD reportable. It has been recognized that the
CJDSS registers more cases of CJD than are reported to P/T Ministries of Health
(PTMH). Because the CJDSS may not legally share personal information with PTMH,
in 2008 the CJDSS began to systematically discuss the issue of CJD reporting
with referring health care professionals (HCP). The present study was undertaken
to estimate any changes in P/T CJD reporting from 2008, and to identify possible
areas for further improvement.
Materials and Methods. P/T CJD data were retrieved from the Public Health
Agency of Canada’s National Notifiable Disease System (NNDS) database, and
compared with CJDSS data. CJDSS intake sheets were examined, to determine if the
case had been reported to the PTMH at the time of notification.
Results. From 2005 to 2010, NNDS received complete data on CJD from 5 P/Ts.
During the same period, 134 cases of CJD (probable or neuropathologically
confirmed) were reported by the 5 P/Ts while 210 CJD deaths (probable or
definite) were recorded in the CJDSS from the same 5 P/Ts. Between 2008 and 2010
there was an increase of ~48% in P/T CJD reports compared with the period
2005–2007. In contrast, the CJDSS registered only ~12% more CJD deaths between
2008 and 2010 compared with 2005–2007, supporting an interpretation of improved
P/T reporting. Examination of intake sheets from 172 notifications that were
made to the CJDSS from the same 5 P/Ts between 2008 and 2010 revealed that 30
were known to have been reported to PTMH at the time of referring (24 were CJD,
5 were non-CJD, and 1 was unclassifiable). 142 were not reported or had unknown
reporting status. Reasons cited by HCPs for not reporting included (1)
uncertainty of the CJD diagnosis; (2) uncertainty regarding responsibility for
reporting; (3) lack of awareness that CJD is reportable; and (4) uncertainty
regarding when or how to report.
Conclusion. The considerable increase of CJD reports in P/Ts since 2008
occurred concurrently with efforts of the CJDSS to engage HCPs on the issue of
CJD reporting requirements. P/T CJD reports may include non-CJD cases.
Inter-jurisdiction collaboration is underway to further improve CJD reporting.
Risk.49: Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease in Canada, 1998–2009
Zheng Wang,1,† Gerard Jansen,1, 2 Elina Olsen,1 Stacy Sabourin,1 Rolande
D’Amour,1 Tim Connolly,1 Jennifer Kruse,1 Neil Cashman3 and Michael Coulthart1
1The Canadian Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Surveillance System; Public Health
Agency of Canada; Ottawa, ON Canada; 2Department of Pathology; Ottawa Hospital;
Ottawa, ON Canada; 3Brain Research Centre; University of British Columbia;
Vancouver, BC Canada†Presenting author; Email: zheng.wang@phac-aspc.gc.ca
Background. Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) is a fatal, transmissible
neurodegenerative disease with sporadic, genetic and acquired forms. In 1998,
Canada launched comprehensive national CJD surveillance to assess the
characteristics of CJD in Canada and its risks to the health of Canadians. This
study describes the broad characteristics of CJD in Canada from 1998–2009.
Methods. Case ascertainment was based on internationally accepted criteria.
Demographic information and risk-factor data were collected by standardized
questionnaire and medical chart review. Poisson regression, descriptive
analysis, and case investigation were employed.
Results. A total of 453 CJD deaths in Canadian residents were registered
from 1998–2009. Four hundred and fifteen (92%) were sporadic (sCJD), 33 (7%)
were genetic and five (1%) were acquired. Average annual sCJD mortality was 1.1
per million population, increasing gradually from 0.9 in 1999 to 1.4 in 2009 (P
= 0.27). All provinces saw average annual mortalities ranging from 1.0 to 1.5 (P
= 0.85), except three territories where population is small (~25,000 to
~45,000), sCJD occurred equally in both genders at 1.1. sCJD was rare under 50
years of age with only 11 cases identified (2.7%). Mortality increased after 50
and peaked at 8 per million in the 70–74 age group. Median age at death was 69
and median duration of illness was 4 months. Genetic TSE accounted for 33
deaths: 19 were GSS (P102L: 5, D202N: 2, P105T: 2, Q217R:1, A117V: 1, unknown
mutation: 8); 13 were familial CJD (E200K: 9, D178N: 2, V203I: 1, V189I:1); one
was FFI (D178N). Median age for genetic TSE was 59 and median duration of
illness was 27 months. For the five acquired cases of CJD, four were associated
with dura mater procedures (3 Lyodura, 1 Tutoplast) and were identified from
1998–2003 in patients aged 14–59. Investigation indicated the infections
possibly occurred from 1981–1992 with incubation times from 10–16 years. One
biochemically and neuropathologically confirmed variant CJD death occurred in
2002 in a person under 40 years old, likely acquired overseas.
Discussion and Conclusion. Characteristics of CJD in Canada are consistent
with those observed in other countries. The increase in sCJD mortality can be at
least partly attributed to increased awareness of CJD among referring
clinicians. The finding of four dura matter associated CJD cases and one
imported vCJD case in Canada demonstrate risks to Canadians from acquired CJD
exist. Continued surveillance for iatrogenic risks and novel forms of CJD is
warranted.
Monday, August 22, 2016
*** CREUTZFELDT JAKOB DISEASE USA 2015 SPORADIC CJD TOTAL FIGURES REACHES
HIGHEST ANNUAL COUNT TO DATE AT 239 CONFIRMED CASES ***
Transmission of scrapie prions to primate after an extended silent
incubation period
***Moreover, sporadic disease has never been observed in breeding colonies
or primate research laboratories, most notably among hundreds of animals over
several decades of study at the National Institutes of Health25, and in nearly
twenty older animals continuously housed in our own facility.***
Thursday, August 18, 2016
*** PROCEEDINGS ONE HUNDRED AND Nineteenth ANNUAL MEETING of the USAHA BSE,
CWD, SCRAPIE, PORCINE TSE PRION October 22 28, 2015 ***
Tuesday, August 9, 2016
*** Concurrence with OIE Risk Designations for Bovine Spongiform
Encephalopathy [Docket No. APHIS-2015-0055]
Saturday, July 23, 2016
*** BOVINE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHY BSE TSE PRION SURVEILLANCE, TESTING,
AND SRM REMOVAL UNITED STATE OF AMERICA UPDATE JULY 2016
Tuesday, July 26, 2016
*** Atypical Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy BSE TSE Prion UPDATE JULY
2016
Saturday, July 16, 2016
*** Importation of Sheep, Goats, and Certain Other Ruminants [Docket No.
APHIS-2009-0095]RIN 0579-AD10
WITH great disgust and concern, I report to you that the OIE, USDA, APHIS,
are working to further legalize the trading of Transmissible Spongiform
Encephalopathy TSE Pion disease around the globe.
THIS is absolutely insane. it’s USDA INC.
Thursday, October 22, 2015
*** Former Ag Secretary Ann Veneman talks women in agriculture and we talk
mad cow disease USDA and what really happened those mad cows in Texas ***
Monday, June 20, 2016
*** Specified Risk Materials SRMs BSE TSE Prion Program ***
Thursday, April 14, 2016
Arizona 22 year old diagnosed with Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease CJD
Thursday, January 15, 2015
41-year-old Navy Commander with sporadic Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease CJD TSE
Prion: Case Report
Saturday, January 17, 2015
*** Becky Lockhart 46, Utah’s first female House speaker, dies diagnosed
with the extremely rare Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
Saturday, December 12, 2015
CREUTZFELDT JAKOB DISEASE CJD TSE PRION REPORT DECEMBER 14, 2015
Sunday, August 21, 2016
Kay Ellen Roedl Schwister Deceased August 7, 2016 at the age of 53 with
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease CJD TSE Prion spontaneous sporadic, zoonosis, or
iatrogenic?
Monday, August 22, 2016
*** CREUTZFELDT JAKOB DISEASE USA 2015 SPORADIC CJD TOTAL FIGURES REACHES
HIGHEST ANNUAL COUNT TO DATE AT 239 CONFIRMED CASES ***
*** Evidence That Transmissible Mink Encephalopathy Results from Feeding
Infected Cattle ***
Over the next 8-10 weeks, approximately 40% of all the adult mink on the
farm died from TME.
snip...
The rancher was a ''dead stock'' feeder using mostly (>95%) downer or
dead dairy cattle...
In Confidence - Perceptions of unconventional slow virus diseases of
animals in the USA - APRIL-MAY 1989 - G A H Wells
3. Prof. A. Robertson gave a brief account of BSE. The US approach was to
accord it a very low profile indeed. Dr. A Thiermann showed the picture in the
''Independent'' with cattle being incinerated and thought this was a fanatical
incident to be avoided in the US at all costs. ...
”The occurrence of CWD must be viewed against the contest of the locations
in which it occurred. It was an incidental and unwelcome complication of the
respective wildlife research programmes. Despite it’s subsequent recognition as
a new disease of cervids, therefore justifying direct investigation, no specific
research funding was forthcoming. The USDA veiwed it as a wildlife problem and
consequently not their province!” ...page 26.
*** Calling Canadian beef unsafe is like calling your twin sister ugly,"
Dopp said.
Thursday, August 25, 2016
*** FSIS Green Bay Dressed Beef Recalls Beef Products Due To Possible
Specified Risk Materials Contamination the most high risk materials for BSE TSE
PRION AKA MAD COW TYPE DISEASE ***
IN my opinion, the BSE MRR policy, which
overtook the BSE GBR risk assessments for each country, and then made BSE
confirmed countries legal to trade mad cow disease, which was all brought forth
AFTER that fateful day December 23, 2003, when the USA lost it’s gold card i.e.
BSE FREE status, that’s the day it all started. once the BSE MRR policy was
shoved down every countries throat by USDA inc and the OIE, then the legal
trading of Scrapie was validated to be a legal trading commodity, also shoved
through by the USDA inc and the OIE, the world then lost 30 years of attempted
eradication of the BSE TSE prion disease typical and atypical strains, and the
BSE TSE Prion aka mad cow type disease was thus made a legal trading commodity,
like it or not. it’s all about money now folks, trade, to hell with human health
with a slow incubating disease, that is 100% fatal once clinical, and forget the
fact of exposure, sub-clinical infection, and friendly fire there from i.e.
iatrogenic TSE prion disease, the pass it forward mode of the TSE PRION aka mad
cow type disease. it’s all going to be sporadic CJD or sporadic ffi, or sporadic
gss, or now the infamous VPSPr. ...problem solved $$$
Terry S. Singeltary Sr.
