Can we expect to see cases of Mad Cow Disease and vCJD in the United States?
In December 2003, a cow slaughtered on a farm near Yakima, Washington was confirmed to have a positive test for BSE. This was the first time that an infected animal has been detected in the United States since May 1990, when active surveillance and testing began. This cow was a “downer” (non-ambulatory at slaughter) and was included in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA’s) targeted BSE surveillance program. Starting in 1989, the USDA began taking steps to prevent BSE from entering the United States, including severe restrictions on the importation of live ruminants, such as cattle, sheep and goats, and certain ruminant products from countries where BSE was known to exist. These restrictions were later extended to include importation of ruminants and certain ruminant products from all European countries. The USDA has tested over 20,000 cattle annually in 2002 and 2003 for BSE using a targeted surveillance approach designed to test high-risk animals for BSE. This included
