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To all CEDs.<br>
<br>
An announcement was made yesterday concerning a case BSE (Mad Cow
Disease) in California. Attached are some press releases. It
must be noted that ““Samples from the animal in question were tested at
USDA's National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa.
Confirmatory results using immunohistochemistry and western blot tests
<b><u>confirmed the animal was positive for atypical BSE</u></b>, a very
rare form of the disease not generally associated with an animal
consuming infected feed”<br>
<br>
As the USDA is saying, this is not the type of BSE that is transmitted by
feed contaminated with high risk material (how the outbreak started in
the UK). The question is where did it come from? The answer,
most likely (according to Dr. Cuneo) - the atypical BSE is a naturally
occurring disease in cattle. We are only finding it because now we
are looking for it. The animal did not enter the human food chain
and there is no risk of amplification as what occurred in the UK.<br>
<br>
A video can be seen at
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_cH3kyyeAI&feature=youtu.be">
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_cH3kyyeAI&feature=youtu.be</a><br>
<br>
Please share as you see fit.<br>
<br>
Regards,<br>
<br>
Ed<br>
<br>
<br>
_____________________<br>
<br>
**Doing something once is worth more than seeing it done a thousand
times**<br>
<br>
Edward C. Martin, Ph.D.<br>
Associate Director, Programs <br>
University of Arizona Cooperative
Extension <br>
301 Forbes Building <br>
PO Box
210036
<br>
Tucson, AZ
85721-0036
<br>
<br>
Tel: (520)
621-5308 <br>
Fax: (520) 621-1314 <br>
<br>
Professor & Extension Specialist<br>
Dep. Ag. & Biosystems Engineering<br>
University of Arizona<br>
Maricopa Ag. Center<br>
37860 W. Smith Enke Road<br>
Maricopa, AZ 85138<br>
<br>
Tel: (520) 568-2273 X 244<br>
Fax: (520) 568-2556<br>
<br>
E-Mail:
<a href="mailto:edmartin@cals.arizona.edu">edmartin@cals.arizona.edu</a>
<br>
<br>
<b>From:</b> Cuneo, S Peder - (cuneo)
[<a href="mailto:cuneo@email.arizona.edu" eudora="autourl">
mailto:cuneo@email.arizona.edu</a>] <br>
<b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, April 24, 2012 3:48 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> edmartin@cals.arizona.edu; carlos; Dr. Howard Fredrick;
Anderson, Michael A - (maa1); gabrad@ag.arizona.edu;
jschmitz@u.arizona.edu; Mike Riggs; rglock@ag.arizona.edu;
sdial@u.arizona.edu<br>
<b>Subject:</b> FW: Arizona BSE Team: BSE in CA Dairy Cow<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<b>From:</b> Lauren Scheller
<a href="mailto:lscheller@arizonabeef.org" eudora="autourl">[</a>
mailto:lscheller@arizonabeef.org<a href="mailto:lscheller@arizonabeef.org" eudora="autourl">
]</a> <br>
<b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, April 24, 2012 3:43 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> (<a href="mailto:dbutler@azda.gov">dbutler@azda.gov</a>); Andy
Groseta; Anna Aja; Barbara Stevenson Jackson; Bas Aja; Clay Parsons
(<a href="mailto:msycattle@aol.com">msycattle@aol.com</a>); Dr. John
Marchello; George Seperich
(<a href="mailto:George.Seperich@asu.edu">George.Seperich@asu.edu</a>);
John Hunt (<a href="mailto:jhunt@azda.gov">jhunt@azda.gov</a>); Julie
Murphree; Lauren Scheller; Bill and Linda Brake; Norman Hinz, II; Patrick
Bray; Cuneo, S Peder - (cuneo); Perry Durham
(<a href="mailto:pdurham@azda.gov">pdurham@azda.gov</a>); Ron Allen
(<a href="mailto:rallen@ag.arizona.edu">rallen@ag.arizona.edu</a>);
Suzanne Menges; Tammy Baker
(<a href="mailto:tbaker@udaz.org">tbaker@udaz.org</a>)<br>
<b>Cc:</b> Tiffany Hayes; Maria Cadena<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Arizona BSE Team: BSE in CA Dairy Cow<br>
<br><br>
MEMO<br><br>
To: Director Don Butler, Dr.
John Hunt, Dr. Perry Durham, Dr. John Marchello, Norman Hinz, Ron Allen,
Dr. George Seperich, Dr. Jerry Biwer, Dr. Peder Cuneo, Linda Brake, Andy
Groseta, Tammy Baker, Julie Muphree, Suzanne Menges, Barbara Jackson,
Clay Parsons, Bas Aja, Patrick Bray<br><br>
From: Lauren Scheller, Arizona Beef Council<br><br>
CC: Anna Aja, Tiffany Hayes, Maria
Cadena<br><br>
Date: 4/24/2012<br><br>
Re: BSE found in California
<br><br>
Arizona BSE Team: <br><br>
You are invited to be part of this team because of your expertise and/or
current affiliation with the beef industry.<br><br>
USDA’s APHIS has confirmed this afternoon that a case of bovine
spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) was diagnosed in the Central Valley of
California. Here are the facts that we know:<br><br>
· A dairy cow was tested
at a rendering facility. The age and source of the cow is not known.
<br><br>
· The animal was never
intended to enter the food supply and did not go into the food system.
<br><br>
· This cow was infected
with atypical BSE, a very rare form of the disease not associated with an
animal consuming infected feed. What is known about atypical BSE is that
it is spontaneous, affects older animals, is isolated and is not
contagious. <br><br>
· The discovery of this
case is testament to the strength of our BSE surveillance program to
protect human and animal health. The safeguards and firewalls in place
include ban of specified risk materials (SRMs) from the human food
supply, banning non-ambulatory animals from human food supply and the ban
on ruminant material in cattle feed. <br><br>
· This is only the fourth
case of BSE in the US. In 2011, there were only 29 BSE cases worldwide, a
99% decline since 37,311 cases in 1992. <br><br>
<b>Please direct all media inquiries to me</b>. We are setting up
appropriate spokespersons to field inquiries case by case. I will share
that information as soon as we have these spokespersons confirmed.
<br><br>
Below (and attached) is ABC’s press release and here are additional
releases from
<a href="http://usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentid=2012%2F04%2F0132.xml&navid=NEWS_RELEASE&navtype=RT&parentnav=LATEST_RELEASES&edeployment_action=retrievecontent">
USDA</a> and
<a href="http://www.beefusa.org/newsreleases1.aspx?newsid=2458">NCBA</a>.
<br><br>
A comprehensive source for information about BSE is located on
<a href="http://www.bseinfo.org">www.bseinfo.org</a>. <br><br>
Social Media: This is already trending on social media. If you or your
organization is on Twitter, please follow @bseinfo and hashtag your posts
with #madcow. Please share information on your social media avenues and
direct followers to @bseinfo and
<a href="http://www.bseinfo.org">www.bseinfo.org</a>. <br><br>
At this time, we do not have a conference call planned but might call one
late this afternoon or tomorrow morning. <br><br>
Please see the attached file for <b>key messages</b> and <b>talking
points</b>. <br><br>
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email,
<a href="mailto:lscheller@arizonabeef.org">lscheller@arizonabeef.org</a>,
or call 602-421-6014. We will pass along updated information as we
receive it. <br><br>
<br>
<div align="center">
<img src="cid:7.1.0.9.0.20120425065659.02508d68@ag.arizona.edu.2" width=200 height=73 alt="ABC Logo">
<br>
</div>
<br>
<b>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<br>
<div align="center"> <br>
USDA Announcement of BSE in California Dairy Cow<br>
</div>
<br>
</b>PHOENIX, AZ, April 24, 2012 – The Arizona Beef Council issued the
following statement regarding the
<a href="http://usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentid=2012/04/0132.xml&navid=NEWS_RELEASE&navtype=RT&parentnav=LATEST_RELEASES&edeployment_action=retrievecontent">
United States Department of Agriculture's</a> (USDA) confirmation of an
“atypical” case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a dairy cow
in central California.<br>
<br><br>
“Arizona’s consumers can rest assured that the interlocking series of
safeguards to protect from the possibility of BSE entering the food
supply are working. The new case of BSE that surfaced in a dairy
cow in California proves once again that our vigilance has paid
off.”<br><br>
<br><br>
The animal was not bound for the nation's food supply and posed no
danger, the Agriculture department said Tuesday. John Clifford, the
department's chief veterinary officer, said the cow from central
California did not enter the human food chain and that U.S. meat and
dairy supplies are safe. It is the fourth such cow discovered in the
United States since the government began inspecting for the disease to
keep the food supply safe.<br>
<br>
“The top three priorities for Arizona’s beef producing families are:
Consumers, Animal Care and Conservation. Healthy cattle are
very important to our safe food supply. Over the past twenty years
beef producing families have invested their treasure and resources to
assure that the safeguards and hurdles necessary for the safest food
supply in the world are the very best.” See video about Arizona’s
beef producing families
<a href="http://youtu.be/IUc7ArZv_H0">here</a>.<br>
<br>
“BSE is not contagious and USDA tests approximately 40,000 high-risk
cattle per year. BSE as a disease is fast approaching eradication
worldwide. According to USDA, there were only 29 cases of BSE
worldwide in 2011, which is a 99 percent reduction since the peak in 1992
of more than 37,000 cases.”<br>
<br>
“Arizona’s beef producing families raise enough beef to feed nearly 7.5
million beef consumers. Arizona raises nearly 1 million head of
cattle and our beef community contributes nearly $4 billion of economic
activity in our state. We raise beef all across our state, in all
15 counties, and every community is impacted in some way by Arizona’s
beef production.”<br>
<br>
<br>
<div align="center">For more information you can visit
<a href="http://www.bseinfo.org">www.bseinfo.org</a> or contact Lauren
Scheller at
<a href="mailto:lscheller@arizonabeef.org">lscheller@arizonabeef.org</a>
or 602 421-6014. <br>
###<br><br>
</div>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<b><i>Lauren Scheller<br>
</i></b>Director of Consumer Marketing and Public Relations<br>
Arizona Beef Council<br>
1401 N. 24th Street, Suite 4<br>
Phoenix, Arizona 85008<br>
602-273-7163 (office)<br>
602-421-6014 (cell)<br>
<a href="http://www.arizonabeef.org/">www.arizonabeef.org</a><br>
<img src="cid:7.1.0.9.0.20120425065659.02508d68@ag.arizona.edu.3" width=200 height=105 alt="IHeartBeefGraphic">
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