Mad Cow Euthanized in California, New Risk in US?
A cow diagnosed with mad cow disease has been euthanized in California, the U.S. Department of Agriculture stated. The official statement says that it was "humanely euthanized after it developed lameness and became recumbent."
Mad cow disease, also known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, is fatal to cattle and could cause brain disease in humans who eat the beef. It was the source of a worldwide panic after at least 179,000 cattle died of the disease, according to The Telegraph.
At least 4.4 million cows were destroyed as a precaution to prevent the spread of mad cow disease.
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The cow euthanized in California is the first since 2006 and the fourth in U.S. history. USDA officials are hoping that their quick response will help curb any further incidents.
There is some worry that mad cow disease is on the rise again, which would greatly affect the already beleaguered beef industry. As news broke about the "pink slime" used as filler in beef, consumers began distancing themselves from the manufacturers.
"They say things happen in threes, so hopefully this is the last one," farmer Buck Wehrbein told the Associated Press. "It looks like [the USDA] is working, and for those of us in the business, that's a relief."
Canada, Mexico and Japan, which are the world's leading importers of beef, have said that they will not halt further importation, which is good for beef producers. The USDA has taken precautions and conducts testing on at least 40,000 cows throughout the country in order to assess the quality of beef.
Warning signs in cattle include aggression, progressively deteriorating behavior, a decrease in milk production, anorexia and lethargy. In humans, it manifests as a progressive neurological disorder with insomnia, depression, confusion and behavioral changes.
As mad cow disease progresses, a person may develop dementia and slip into a coma. It is almost always fatal.
