Tuesday, December 23, 2003

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Here's how a tabloid in England is reporting the BSE case.

Mad cow case rocks US

AMERICA was in a state of fear last night after a case of mad cow disease was suspected in Washington state.

A tissue sample from the sick animal was being flown by military jet to Britain for testing.

Health experts in the States, where beef is the staple diet, will have to wait up to five days for confirmation of the disease.

McDonald’s quickly put out a statement saying its supplies were not affected. Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman, reflecting the current nervousness in America, said: “This incident is not terrorist-related.”

The U.S. cattle industry has long feared an outbreak of BSE, which could result in billions of dollars of losses. Mad cow disease has been linked to 130 human deaths in Europe, mostly in Britain.

In the 1980s and 1990s, the UK destroyed 3.7million cattle.

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