MAD COW DISEASE

OKLAHOMA COW UNDERGOES TESTS FOR MAD COW Oklahoma might be the latest state affected by mad cow disease, but agriculture officials are quick to say it`s too early to tell. It will take anywhere from 4 to 7 days before the possible case can be verified. One test has already been conducted but it proved inconclusive....
State officials say it's too early to jump to conclusions about mad cow tests The state veterinarian says she is not surprised at an inconclusive test for mad cow disease in the United States. "I was just as surprised we haven't had more of them," said Dr. Susan Keller. The case does not involve a cow from North Dakota, she said. "It's premature to even speculate as to whether it's true, and I'm not so sure that we ought to even be releasing these early tests," state Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson said....
FDA Issues Regulations for Tissue Banks Tissue banks that process donated skin, ligaments and bones for transplant must meet new federal safety standards, aimed at preventing infection and disease, under regulations issued Thursday. The Food and Drug Administration regulations, which will take effect in May, set standards for an industry that has gone unregulated during a period of explosive growth. In May, the FDA said tissue donors, like blood donors, must be screened for infectious diseases. It also required tissue banks to test donors and donated tissue for diseases including HIV, hepatitis B and C, syphilis and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, the human form of mad cow disease....
Nebraska Cattle Farmers Aren't Worried About Mad Cow Nebraska cattle farmers are watching as the nation's agriculture officials investigate a possible new case of mad cow disease. Officials aren't releasing many details and say it will be four to seven days before the possible case can be confirmed. But an official did emphasize that the cow in question never entered the food chain. Ag officials will not say where the new case was found. They said the animal did not come from Kansas, Montana, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota or Wyoming.....
Bovril to Remove Beef to Woo Vegetarians The beef is being taken out of Bovril, makers of the British essence of bouillon announced Thursday, saying they want to appeal to vegetarians and overcome export restrictions imposed because of mad cow disease. Bovril beef extract has been a staple of British kitchen cupboards for more than 100 years, but the central beef ingredient will be replaced by a yeast mix, said Unilever Bestfoods UK, a subsidiary of Anglo-Dutch consumer goods giant Unilever PLC....
NCBA Statement on USDA Announcement Regarding Inconclusive BSE Test Result "It is important to remember that the U.S. government and the beef industry have put science-based precautions in place over the past 15 years to ensure our beef remains safe from BSE. "These initial screening tests are designed to be extremely sensitive. This test result is simply one step in the process. USDA will carefully analyze these samples, and we can't assume, at this point, that this inconclusive represents a positive case. In undertaking this enhanced surveillance program inconclusive results are not unexpected. "The second step is now under way with the sample going to USDA's National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa. Confirmatory results are expected back within 4-7 days....