The prospect of a second home-grown case of BSE in the United States has raised more questions about the U.S. testing system.
John Clifford, U.S. Department of Agriculture chief veterinary officer, told reporters that a private veterinarian collected the sample on a farm at an undisclosed location, and then forgot to submit it for testing.
The brain sample was taken from a 12-year-old cow that died while calving in April. Further problems arose when the veterinarian treated the sample with the preservative formalin in preparation for the immunohistochemistry test. The western blot and rapid screening test methods do not work when preservatives have been added because it changes the nature of the brain proteins.
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Samples have been sent to a U.S. national laboratory in Ames, Iowa, as well as a lab in Weybridge, England, known for its BSE expertise. Authorities expected to know the results of those tests later this week, but there was no word at Western Producer press time.
This follows a BSE discovery in Texas on June 24 that also raised questions about U.S. testing methods. Those test results were initially announced as negative and only reversed when USDA’s chief inspector ordered further tests from a laboratory in England.
Since the Texas case, U.S. testing protocols were changed and the government agreed to use the western blot test, as well as the IHC to confirm cases. It has requested fresh samples within 48 hours of extraction and has agreed to submit potential positives to the world reference laboratory in Weybridge for confirmation.
Ted Haney, of the Canada Beef Export Federation said another BSE positive may not affect U.S. trade status. It already lost access to nine international markets after the last case when its status changed from BSE free to controlled risk status, similar to Canada.
“Informally they may have lost temporary access to others, subject to fully reporting on the investigation into their first case,” said Haney.
Trading partners are still waiting to hear the full report on cattle destroyed and tested following the first case. Herd mates born the year before, the same and the year after must be tracked and tested.
The Japanese publication, Frozen Food News said the most recent report of another BSE positive case in the U.S. at the same time as an E. coli outbreak in a nursing home and the discovery of avian flu on a farm heightened consumer concerns over food safety.
