March 5, 2010
Whistleblower Testifies Against USDA
Dr. Dean Wyatt says the USDA retaliated against him for trying to enforce the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act
“Food integrity and humane handling whistleblowers should not have to rely on an undercover video investigation in order for USDA supervisors to take their disclosures seriously.”—Dr. Wyatt
In testimony before a House subcommittee hearing on March 4, Dr. Dean Wyatt, public health veterinarian for the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of the USDA, expressed frustration about the USDA’s lack of support for inspectors who are “just trying to do their job” to protect animal welfare and food safety.
In his testimony, Dr. Wyatt said USDA officials not only overturned his recommendations, siding with slaughter plants in violation of federal law, but also personally retaliated against him for trying to enforce the law. Dr. Wyatt, who has been with the USDA for 18 years, was reprimanded and threatened with termination by his supervisors after reporting repeated violations of the USDA’s Humane Methods of Slaughter Act (HMSA).
Wyatt spoke about suspending operations at the Bushway Packing slaughter plant in Vermont on three occasions for improper handling of animals; each time district officials for the Agency reopened the plant and allowed it to continue without addressing humane handling concerns. Violations included dragging a “downed” calf unable to stand off a truck by the hind leg and dragging a days-old calf through a holding pen. In another instance, Wyatt described an Agency official changing the wording in a written report to suggest an animal had been “dropped” rather than thrown off of a truck.
After an undercover video investigation was conducted by The HSUS at the Bushway Packing plant, the USDA closed the plant for violations of the HMSA. A criminal investigation into conduct at the slaughterhouse is underway.
Thursday’s hearing coincided with the release by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) of a report that encouraged stronger enforcement of the HMSA. Specific recommendations included establishing “clear and specific” criteria for suspending plant operations; improving standards for compliance; and taking a closer look at noncompliance reports.
Under the HMSA, FSIS inspectors are charged with overseeing humane handling of animals and with conducting fecal contamination checks to prevent contaminated meat from entering the food supply. Animals too sick to stand or walk are prohibited from entering the food supply due to the potential threat of mad cow disease.
In 2008, an HSUS investigation into the processing of downed cows at the Hallmark Meat Packing slaughter plant in Chino, Calif. led the USDA to close the plant and recall 143 million pounds of beef. The Chino plant was the second largest supplier of beef to the nation’s school lunch program.
Stanley Painter, representing the union of government food inspection workers (National Joint Council of Food Inspection Local Unions), testified that he concurred with Dr. Wyatt’s assessment that the USDA did not provide adequate support or training for inspectors at the nation’s slaughter plants.
Speaking before the subcommittee, Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States, said he was heartened by the new Administration’s willingness to take humane concerns seriously. He went on to say that slaughter plant violations are chronic: “Every time we have looked, we have found problems.”
Pacelle recommended that the USDA create its own mobile investigations unit and enforce a policy of “zero percent tolerance” for abuses and inhumane handling, citing the billions of animals and hundreds of millions of consumers who rely on the USDA for proper enforcement of the HMSA.
Pacelle also called on the USDA to close the loophole on downer calves. The Obama Administration closed the loophole on downer cows following The HSUS’s Hallmark investigation, but a loophole that applies to young animals still exists.
In his closing remarks, subcommittee chairman Dennis Kucinich thanked Dr. Wyatt for his public service and his courage to blow the whistle on the USDA, as well as The HSUS for sharing the results of its undercover investigations. Citing its conflicts of interest, Kucinich encouraged the USDA to do more to protect consumers and promised to continue to press for changes that will lead to greater consumer confidence in the USDA.
http://humanesociety.org/news/news/2010/whistleblower_reports_USDA_failures.html
Humane Methods of Slaughter Act: Actions Are Needed to Strengthen Enforcement.
GAO-10-203, February 19
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-203
Highlights -
http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10203high.pdf
OTHER WRITTEN PRODUCT
Humane Methods of Slaughter Act: USDA Inspectors' Views on Enforcement (GAO-10-244SP), February 2010, an E-supplement to GAO-10-203.
GAO-10-244SP, February 19
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-244SP
TESTIMONY
Humane Methods of Slaughter Act: Weaknesses in USDA Enforcement.
GAO-10-487T, March 4
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-487T
TAFS
How are cattle stunned?
In recent times cattle would be stunned by means of a gun, from which a bolt was driven through the skull and into the brain. This renders the animal unconscious. In some abattoirs, penetrative stunning would be followed by “pithing”. This involves passing a flexible rod through the hole in the skull, and down the spinal canal. It is, or was, done primarily to protect the operators responsible for bleeding the cattle. It did so by destroying spinal reflexes controlling the front limbs, and prevented reflex kicking. In larger abattoirs with greater mechanisation of procedures, more rapid stunning and bleeding operations frequently make this an unnecessary procedure. Smaller abattoirs, with greater dependence on manual labour, and slower speeds of operation, may still find pithing to be necessary. Pithing has actually been banned in Europe.
A variant of this method was used in some countries. In this method the flexible rod was replaced by the injection of air through the bolt and stun hole into the skull. This effectively pithed the animal. This is now illegal in the European Union.
An alternative form of stunning, called percussion stunning, applies the stun to the outside of the skull without penetrating the skull.
In some abattoirs electrical stunning is used. In other words the cattle may be electrocuted.
How can stunning increase risk to consumers from BSE?
There is some research evidence that suggests that penetrative stunning, with or without pithing, can cause some brain tissue to enter the blood stream. Although such a risk was demonstrated many years ago by artificially contaminating the stun bolt or pithing rod with bacteria, recent studies have specifically demonstrated trace amounts of brain material in the blood of some animals immediately following stunning(2-5, 8, 9, 10, 12, 21, 24).
The injection of air through the stun bolt has the potential to significantly increase the risk. Occasionally, samples of brain material, visible to the naked eye, have been identified lodged in tissues that receive blood after passing through the heart (usually lodged in lung or occasionally liver)(14, 15, 20, 27).
In these circumstances, the methods of stunning have the potential if used on BSE-infected animals, to drive some infectivity into the blood stream. The extent of contamination of the rest of the carcase by this means has not been demonstrated. As mentioned above, with the exception of extremely small particles of brain, most would become lodged in organs such as the lung.
Penetrative stunning also has the potential to expose the meat of the head (and indeed operators) to brain tissue that exudes from the hole, either on the pithing rod or subsequently after removal of the head.
Carriage of heads to specialist plants where the meat from the head is removed (boning-out plants) can compound the likelihood of contamination if several heads are in contact. Following removal of the head, leakage of cerebro-spinal fluid, which bathes the brain and has not been shown to be infectious in BSE cases, has the theoretical potential to cause further cross-contamination.
TAFS
Is it only the stunning process that represents a risk?
No. In the majority of abattoirs it is normal practice to split the carcase in order make handling easier, and to supply traditional cuts of meats to the retail and manufacturing trade. This is also required to ensure that the whole carcase can be inspected to ensure that it is fit for human consumption. Splitting normally involves sawing the spinal column in half along its length. This also frequently cuts through the spinal cord. If the animal is infected with BSE, the spinal cord must be assumed to be as infectious as the brain(7, 11, 13, 16, 17, 19, 21, 22).
It is therefore inevitable that a certain amount of spinal cord tissue is spread along the cut surface of the spinal column by the saw. In addition there will be a certain amount of spray contamination of the surface of the carcase, but research into this aspect is ongoing(6, 11, 18, 25, 28).
14. Garland, T, Bauer, N. & Bailey, M.Jr. (1996). Brain emboli in the lungs of cattle after stunning (letter). Lancet. 348: 610.
15. Garland, Tam. (1996). Brain emboli in the lungs of cattle (reply to K C Taylor). Lancet. 348: 749.
20. Munro R. (1997). Neural tissue embolism in cattle. Veterinary Record. 140, N20, 536.
21. Prendergast, D.M., Sheridan, J.J., Daly, D.J., McDowell, D.A. & Blair, I.S. (2003). Dissemination of central nervous system tissue from the brain and spinal cord of cattle after captive bolt stunning and carcass splitting. Meat Science. 65:1201-1209.
27. Taylor, K.C. (1996). Brain emboli in the lungs of cattle. Lancet. 348: 749
http://www.tseandfoodsafety.org/position_papers/TAFS_POSITION_PAPER_ON%20SLAUGHTER%202009.pdf
WHY is it that some of you folks are more worried about animal abuse (which i do not condone), but yet you will allow your children, all across the Nation, be fed the most high risk cattle for mad cow disease and other dangerous pathogens via the NSLP. For over 4 years, dead stock downer cows were fed to our children all across the Nation. But yet it seems that most are more concerned about how the animals are treated before slaughter. What about our children ? WE apparently just turn our heads on a disease that is in THE USA, has been, still is, sCJD rising, this is disease is of long incubation, but yet once clinical, it is 100% fatal. who will watch our children over the next 5 decades for CJD, or does anyone care ?
The PrP TSE mad cow agent in humans can incubate up to 50+ years in some cases, in other cases, not so long. so, come back in 50+ years and confirm this. junk science, industry friendly regulations, and or just not complying with existing regulations have been rampant over the past 12 years I have been paying attention, it has been the norm. maybe sound science will prevail in the end, maybe not. but feeding children diseased and sick cows via the NSLP was flat wrong, and anyone that thinks the largest beef recall there from, was just because a few animals were abused, well, they too are just flat wrong as well. ...
WHO WILL WATCH THE CHILDREN FOR CJD OVER THE NEXT 5 + DECADES ???
Do you actually believe that the USDA et al jumped in on the law suit against Westland/Hallmark, at the time the largest beef recall in USA history, just because a few animals were abused on a video, or to cover their ass, for letting our children, from school district to school district, from state to state, be fed dead stock downer cows.
>>>In the papers, the government alleges the meatpacking plant slaughtered and processed downer cows for nearly four years — from January 2004 to September 2007 — at the average rate of one every six weeks... <<<
http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2009/09/suit-meatpacker-used-downer-cows-for-4.html
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Congress to Sample School Lunches
http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2009/12/congress-to-sample-school-lunches.html
Do you actually believe all these schools recalled this meat because of a few cattle being abused,
see list ; FNS All Regions Affected School Food Authorities By State United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service National School Lunch Program March 24, 2008 School Food Authorities Affected by Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. Beef Recall February 2006 - February 2008
http://www.fns.usda.gov/fns/safety/Hallmark-Westland_byState.pdf
IF url does not work above, go to this link to find out if any of your children and their school were part of this recall ; go to this site ;
http://www.fns.usda.gov/fns/
left hand corner search ; Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. Beef Recall your should get this ;
http://65.216.150.153/texis/search?pr=FNS
1 through 1 of 1 matching documents, best matches first. sort by date 1: Hallmark - Westland SFA Reporting by State - 3-24-2008.xls Lunch Program March 24, 2008 School Food Authorities Affected by Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. Beef Recall February 2006 - February 2008 The U.S. Department of Agriculture ...
http://www.fns.usda.gov/...ety/Hallmark-Westland_byState.pdf
PLEASE SEE ALSO ;
Members of The HSUS are also concerned about the meat products provided to their children through the National School Lunch Program. More than 31 million school children receive lunches through the program each school day. To assist states in providing healthful, low-cost or free meals, USDA provides states with various commodities including ground beef. As evidenced by the HallmarkNVestland investigation and recall, the potential for downed animals to make their way into the National School Lunch Program is neither speculative nor hypothetical.
http://biotech.law.lsu.edu/cases/FDA/hsus-v-schafer-usda-complaint.pdf
Over the next 8-10 weeks, approximately 40% of all the adult mink on the farm died from TME. snip... The rancher was a ''dead stock'' feeder using mostly (>95%) downer or dead dairy cattle...
http://web.archive.org/web/20030516051623/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/mb/m09/tab05.pdf
CJD USA RISING, with UNKNOWN PHENOTYPE ;
5 Includes 41 cases in which the diagnosis is pending, and 17 inconclusive cases; 6 Includes 46 cases with type determination pending in which the diagnosis of vCJD has been excluded.
http://www.cjdsurveillance.com/pdf/case-table.pdf
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Human Prion Diseases in the United States January 1, 2010 ***FINAL***
http://prionunitusaupdate2008.blogspot.com/2010/01/human-prion-diseases-in-united-states.html
my comments to PLosone here ;
http://www.plosone.org/annotation/listThread.action?inReplyTo=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fannotation%2F04ce2b24-613d-46e6-9802-4131e2bfa6fd&root=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fannotation%2F04ce2b24-613d-46e6-9802-4131e2bfa6fd
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Animal Proteins Prohibited in Ruminant Feed/Adulterated/Misbranded Rangen Inc 2/11/10 USA
http://madcowfeed.blogspot.com/2010/03/animal-proteins-prohibited-in-ruminant.html
Monday, March 1, 2010
ANIMAL PROTEIN I.E. MAD COW FEED IN COMMERCE A REVIEW 2010
http://madcowfeed.blogspot.com/2010/03/animal-protien-ie-mad-cow-feed-in.html
14th ICID International Scientific Exchange Brochure -
Final Abstract Number: ISE.114
Session: International Scientific Exchange
Transmissible Spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) animal and human TSE in North America
update October 2009
T. Singeltary
Bacliff, TX, USA
Background:
An update on atypical BSE and other TSE in North America. Please remember, the typical U.K. c-BSE, the atypical l-BSE (BASE), and h-BSE have all been documented in North America, along with the typical scrapie's, and atypical Nor-98 Scrapie, and to date, 2 different strains of CWD, and also TME. All these TSE in different species have been rendered and fed to food producing animals for humans and animals in North America (TSE in cats and dogs ?), and that the trading of these TSEs via animals and products via the USA and Canada has been immense over the years, decades.
Methods:
12 years independent research of available data
Results:
I propose that the current diagnostic criteria for human TSEs only enhances and helps the spreading of human TSE from the continued belief of the UKBSEnvCJD only theory in 2009. With all the science to date refuting it, to continue to validate this old myth, will only spread this TSE agent through a multitude of potential routes and sources i.e. consumption, medical i.e., surgical, blood, dental, endoscopy, optical, nutritional supplements, cosmetics etc.
Conclusion:
I would like to submit a review of past CJD surveillance in the USA, and the urgent need to make all human TSE in the USA a reportable disease, in every state, of every age group, and to make this mandatory immediately without further delay. The ramifications of not doing so will only allow this agent to spread further in the medical, dental, surgical arena's. Restricting the reporting of CJD and or any human TSE is NOT scientific. Iatrogenic CJD knows NO age group, TSE knows no boundaries. I propose as with Aguzzi, Asante, Collinge, Caughey, Deslys, Dormont, Gibbs, Gajdusek, Ironside, Manuelidis, Marsh, et al and many more, that the world of TSE Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy is far from an exact science, but there is enough proven science to date that this myth should be put to rest once and for all, and that we move forward with a new classification for human and animal TSE that would properly identify the infected species, the source species, and then the route.
http://ww2.isid.org/Downloads/14th_ICID_ISE_Abstracts.pdf
see page 114
International Society for Infectious Diseases Web: http://www.isid.org
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Human Prion Diseases in the United States January 1, 2010 ***FINAL***
http://prionunitusaupdate2008.blogspot.com/2010/01/human-prion-diseases-in-united-states.html
my comments to PLosone here ;
http://www.plosone.org/annotation/listThread.action?inReplyTo=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fannotation%2F04ce2b24-613d-46e6-9802-4131e2bfa6fd&root=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fannotation%2F04ce2b24-613d-46e6-9802-4131e2bfa6fd
Friday, February 05, 2010
New Variant Creutzfelt Jakob Disease case reports United States 2010 A Review
http://vcjd.blogspot.com/2010/02/new-variant-creutzfelt-jakob-disease.html
Sunday, February 14, 2010
[Docket No. FSIS-2006-0011] FSIS Harvard Risk Assessment of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)
http://bseusa.blogspot.com/2010/02/docket-no-fsis-2006-0011-fsis-harvard.html
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Transmissible Spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) animal and human TSE in North America 14th
ICID International Scientific Exchange Brochure -
http://transmissiblespongiformencephalopathy.blogspot.com/2010/02/transmissible-spongiform-encephalopathy.html
TSE
http://transmissiblespongiformencephalopathy.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
NOR-98 ATYPICAL SCRAPIE USA 4 CASES DETECTED JANUARY 2010
http://nor-98.blogspot.com/2010/03/nor-98-atypical-scrapie-usa-4-cases.html
Friday, March 5, 2010
Fatal Transmissible Amyloid Encephalopathy: A New Type of Prion Disease Associated with Lack of Prion Protein Membrane Anchoring
http://betaamyloidcjd.blogspot.com/2010/03/fatal-transmissible-amyloid.html
TSS
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
School Food Safety Program Based on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point Principles (HACCP); Approval of Information Collection Request
Sent: Wednesday, February 24, 2010 11:32 AM
Subject: School Food Safety Program Based on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point Principles (HACCP); Approval of Information Collection Request
[Federal Register: February 24, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 36)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 8239]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr24fe10-1]
========================================================================
Rules and Regulations
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains regulatory documents
having general applicability and legal effect, most of which are keyed
to and codified in the Code of Federal Regulations, which is published
under 50 titles pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 1510.
The Code of Federal Regulations is sold by the Superintendent of Documents.
Prices of new books are listed in the first FEDERAL REGISTER issue of each
week.
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[[Page 8239]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food and Nutrition Service
7 CFR Parts 210 and 220
[FNS-2008-0033]
RIN 0584-AD65
School Food Safety Program Based on Hazard Analysis and Critical
Control Point Principles (HACCP); Approval of Information Collection
Request
AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service, USDA.
ACTION: Final rule; approval of information collection request.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The final rule entitled School Food Safety Program Based on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point Principles (HACCP) was published on December 15, 2009, which implemented a legislative provision requiring school food authorities participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or the School Breakfast Program (SBP) to develop a school food safety program for the preparation and service of school meals served to children. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) cleared the associated information collection requirements (ICR) on November 2, 2009. This document announces approval of the ICR.
DATES: The ICR associated with the final rule published in the Federal Register on December 15, 2009, at 74 FR 66213, was approved by OMB on December 30, 2009, under OMB Control Number 0584-0550.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lynn Rodgers-Kuperman, Chief, Program Analysis and Monitoring Branch, Child Nutrition Division, Food and Nutrition Service, USDA, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 640, Alexandria, Virginia 22302, (703) 305-2600, or Lynn.Rogers@fns.usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The December 15, 2009 (74 FR 66213), final rule implemented a legislative provision which requires school food authorities participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or the School Breakfast Program (SBP) to develop a school food safety program for the preparation and service of school meals served to children. The school food safety program must be based on the (HACCP) system established by the Secretary of Agriculture. The food safety program enables schools to take systematic action to prevent or minimize the risk of food-borne illness among children participating in the NSLP and SBP. The information collection requirements were approved by OMB on December 30, 2009.
Dated: February 4, 2010.
Julia Paradis,
Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-3476 Filed 2-23-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/2010-3476.htm
Foodborne Disease Outbreaks in United States Schools: Discussion
Discussion
Between 1973 and 1997, >600 foodborne disease outbreaks in schools were reported to CDC. These outbreaks resulted in nearly 50 000 illnesses, >1500 hospitalizations and 1 death. This represents ~5% of all foodborne disease outbreaks and 12% of all outbreak-associated cases reported to CDC. The three most commonly identified etiologic agents were Salmonella, S. aureus and C. perfringens. The percentage of outbreaks of known etiology due to Salmonella serotype Enteritidis increased over the surveillance period, whereas the percentage caused by S. aureus decreased. Other notable trends include an 8-fold decrease in the percentage of outbreaks due to turkey, a 3-fold increase in outbreaks linked to salads and a decline in the number of milk-associated outbreaks. Whether these changes reflect variation in the relative safety of these items, a change in dietary habits or both cannot be determined with certainty from these data. Nevertheless some of the changes may be attributed to fewer tours of milk dairies and raw milk tastings and a large increase in the number of salads consumed.
The majority of outbreaks with known vehicles were caused by foods prepared on school premises. Therefore prevention efforts should focus on school-based interventions. Practices identified as contributing to outbreaks in schools include improper refrigeration, prolonged handling and inadequate reheating of cooked foods.[7] Following established food safety guidelines on food preparation, handling, storage and service can greatly reduce the risk of foodborne disease outbreaks.[13-15] All meat and poultry should be thoroughly cooked, cooked foods not used immediately should be rapidly chilled to refrigeration temperature (<40°f)>160°F), that the temperature of egg-containing products be carefully monitored and that devices used to mix or prepare raw eggs be regularly disassembled, cleaned and sanitized. Pasteurized eggs should be used for all meals requiring large quantities of pooled eggs and are the best choice for all recipes containing eggs.
Several outbreaks in schools have been attributed to contamination of food by food-handlers who worked while ill[6, 11] or had poor personal hygiene.[17, 18] In our review of reported foodborne outbreaks in school, 57% of outbreaks were attributed to likely contamination by a food-handler. The adoption of a work policy that includes paid leave for food handlers with gastroenteritis would probably increase compliance with illness-related work exclusion policies. Training and certifying all food handlers in school cafeterias in specific techniques, such as good personal hygiene, adequate hand washing, proper cooling and reheating of foods and methods of preventing cross-contamination between cooked and raw foods, would also likely reduce the incidence of foodborne disease outbreaks.[19]
In addition to promoting proper food handling and hygiene practices among school employees, it is important that schools purchase foodstuffs that have been produced safely. Purchase contracts for meat, poultry and eggs often have not stipulated food safety criteria.[20] Requiring such foods to be produced under Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) or egg quality assurance plans that meet microbiologic performance requirements would be an important addition to school food safety. During school year 2000 the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), which annually purchases >100 million pounds of beef products for the National School Lunch Program and other federal food and nutrition programs, began requiring that ground beef purchased through the program test negative for both E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella.[21] However, USDA directly provides only a small percentage of food served in schools. School food authorities purchase 83% of the food served in school lunch programs and all of the food served in school breakfast programs.[20] Additional efforts to assure the purchase of safe food stuffs may be an important step, although the extent to which this would increase the risk of foodborne outbreaks in schools is not clear. Recent US declines in Salmonella and Campylobacter are credited to the mandated HACCP rule for meat and poultry. The changes in incidence of foodborne infections have occurred in the context of the introduction of the HACCP regulations for meat and poultry in processing plants, increased attention to egg and fresh produce safety, industry efforts, food safety education, increased regulation of imported food and other prevention measures.[22]
The risk of outbreaks caused by bacterial and parasitic pathogens could be further reduced through the broader application of irradiation pasteurization of solid foods using low-dose gamma rays, radiographs or electron beams.[23-25] Although widespread use of this technology has been hampered by the perception of consumer concerns,[26] the use of irradiation to pasteurize food has been endorsed by the World Health Organization, the US Department of Health and Human Services, the USDA, the American Medical Association and the American Public Health Association.[26-29] Irradiation pasteurization of meat and poultry used in schools would be an important further step in reducing outbreaks caused by to bacterial pathogens such as E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella. Because viral foodborne pathogens such as hepatitis A and Norwalk-like viruses are more radioresistant, irradiation pasteurization is less likely to prevent outbreaks due to these pathogens.
The limitations of our report should be recognized. The number of foodborne outbreaks reported by this passive surveillance system represents only a small proportion of those that occur. Foodborne outbreaks caused by an etiologic agent with a short incubation period (e.g. bacterial toxins) are more likely to be recognized as common source outbreaks than are diseases with longer incubation periods (e.g. hepatitis A). Furthermore our report likely underestimates the proportion of viral gastroenteritis outbreaks in schools, because stool and serum testing of specimens for viral pathogens (e.g. Norwalk-like viruses) is not widely available, making confirmation of these outbreaks more difficult. Outbreaks caused by organisms that are not routinely screened for by laboratories or that require special media for detection, such as E. coli O157:H7, Norwalk-like viruses, Vibrio species, Yersinia, C. perfringens and Campylobacter may be underrepresented. In addition testing of some organisms (e.g. E. coli O157:H7, Norwalk-like viruses, enzyme immunoassay for Giardia and toxin testing) became available during the course of the time period covered in this review. Information on the size and other characteristics of affected schools was not available. Other limitations include lack of information about how factors contributing to outbreak were determined and lack of information on the specific school setting (e.g. elementary school, high school or university). A recently published primer directed to primary care physicians, who are more likely to see the index case of a potential food-related disease outbreak, is a teaching tool for primary care physicians about foodborne illness and to remind them of their important role in recognizing suspicious symptoms, disease clusters and etiologic agents and reporting cases of foodborne illness to public health authorities.[30]
Relative to the number of meals served in America's schools, the number of reported outbreaks of foodborne illness may appear relatively small. Nevertheless the cumulative disease burden on this vulnerable population is considerable. Adequate training of school staff and the integration of food safety criteria into purchase contracts are measures that can be immediately employed to reduce the burden of foodborne disease among school children. Investigations of foodborne disease outbreaks in schools and continued outbreak surveillance are needed to identify trends in disease frequency, to detect the emergence of new causes of foodborne illness and to ensure the highest standards of food safety for school children in America.
Foodborne disease websites: www.cdc.gov/foodnet, http://www.foodsafety.gov/, http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/,
www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/foodborneinfections
and http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/outbreak/default.htm.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/439841_4
Q: You've been very vocal about your belief that HACCP [Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points] systems employed by the meat industry are 'a hoax.' If you were writing the meat safety rules, what would they look like?
A: Number one, HACCP was advertised as being science-based, and it is not. HACCP was designed by Pillsbury 20-30 years ago. They were making fully-cooked, ready-to-eat food for the astronaut program and it had to be guaranteed safe. Well, those were highly-processed, fully-cooked ready-to-eat-foods--the pathogens would be cooked out--they all had a real "kill step."
Well, the USDA saw the HACCP program and thought, 'Gee, that sounds really good. Lets apply that meat inspection.' The problem is the vast majority of what we process in meat plants is not fully-cooked, ready-to-eat, it is raw.
The USDA shouldn't use the term HACCP unless the products they are working with are fully cooked.
Number two, when the agency required the industry to implement HACCP, the agency said that under the program the USDA's role would be hands-off. That is an absolute disaster.
The USDA cannot be hands-off.
Under the transition to HACCP, the USDA knowingly acquiesced its authority back to the industry. It's an absolute disaster waiting to happen.
The natural long-term consequences of the agency adopting a hands-off, non-involvement role is ongoing outbreaks and recurring recalls all the time now.
HACCP cannot work in the raw meat industry.
I really think that meat inspection should be moved from the USDA, and that a separate agency should be created to perform inspection of not only meat and poultry but also produce, which is currently assigned to the FDA.
http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2009/11/qa-with-meatpacking-maverick-munsell/index.html?p=2
A: I say it's embarassing, because it should be embarassing to the USDA that, in spite of their "science-based" meat inspection program we have all these ongoing outbreaks and recalls. It should also be embarrassing to our industry.
It's been 11 year since the biggest packers implemented the HACCP program. You'd think that by this point the program would be maturing and paying dividends, but in fact it's going the opposite direction.
We've got to finally realize that the consuming pubic are going to see through this--this façade. At times I wonder if the word "embarrassing" is not the right word. The overarching, more important concern is food safety and sick consumers and people who are dying.
People are dying. A lot of people are getting sick, this should be an embarrassment to this industry, and to the USDA.
http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2009/11/qa-with-meatpacking-maverick-munsell/
From: TSS
Subject: Food Safety and Inspection Service Assessment of the Equivalence of the Canadian Inspection System Report No: 24601-05-HY OIG
Date: January 12, 2006 at 7:22 am PST
Audit Report
Food Safety and Inspection Service
Assessment of the Equivalence of the
Canadian Inspection System
Report No. 24601-05-Hy December 2005
snip...
Executive Summary
Food Safety and Inspection Service Assessment of the Equivalence of the Canadian Inspection System (Audit Report No. 24601-05-Hy)
Results in Brief We evaluated the Food Safety and Inspection Service’s (FSIS) assessment of the equivalence of the Canadian inspection system for meat and poultry products. In a November 6, 2003, memorandum, the FSIS Administrator and the Under Secretary for Food Safety identified serious concerns with the Canadian inspection system. They noted in the memorandum that these concerns had the potential for compromising public health. We found FSIS did not timely address these serious concerns. For example, in July 2003, FSIS identified that Canadian inspection officials were not enforcing certain pathogen reduction and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system regulations. These same types of concerns were identified again in June 2005, almost 2 years later.
Timely actions were not taken because FSIS does not have protocols or guidelines for evaluating deficiencies in a country’s inspection system that could jeopardize a country’s overall equivalence determination. In addition, FSIS did not institute compensating controls (e.g., increased port-of-entry testing) to ensure that public health was not compromised while deficiencies were present. Over 4.4 billion pounds of Canadian processed product entered U.S. commerce from January 1, 2003 through May 31, 2005. In FSIS’ information system, the products were categorized as cuts and trimmings of raw product as well as products with additional processing from pork, veal, beef, poultry, and lamb. These products were produced and allowed to be exported to the United States even though FSIS officials questioned the equivalence of the Canadian inspection system.
FSIS regulations1 require foreign inspection systems to provide standards equivalent to those of the United States. These requirements include the implementation of sanitation controls and HACCP requirements. Sanitation controls cover all aspects of facility and equipment sanitation, the prevention of actual or potential instances of product cross-contamination, good personal hygiene practices, and good product handling and storage practices. All plants must develop, adopt, and implement a HACCP plan for each of their processes. Under HACCP, plants identify critical control points during their processes where hazards such as microbial contamination can occur, establish controls to prevent or reduce those hazards, and maintain records documenting that controls are working as intended.
In July 2003, as part of an onsite review, FSIS identified serious concerns with the Canadian inspection system. These concerns included the
1 Title 9, Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) § 327.2 (a) (2) and 9 C.F.R. § 381.196 (a) (2), January 1, 2005 edition.
USDA/OIG-Audit No. 24601-05-Hy Page ii
insufficient implementation of sanitation controls and HACCP requirements by establishments and the lack of enforcement in these areas by Canadian inspection officials. Based on these concerns, FSIS proposed an enforcement review in 2004. (Enforcement reviews can lead to a determination that a country’s system is not equivalent to U.S. standards and, thus, not eligible to export to the United States). The proposed 2004 enforcement review was not conducted and FSIS officials did not reassess Canada’s implementation and enforcement of sanitation controls and HAACP requirements until almost 2 years later. When FSIS officials finally returned to Canada in May 2005, they continued to find the same types of deficiencies they had found in 2003. FSIS should analyze the deficiencies identified in the 2003 and 2005 reviews to determine whether immediate actions are needed to address concerns regarding public health and if additional enforcement measures are needed.
FSIS’ analysis of the regulations governing the Canadian inspection system identified two areas which may not be equivalent to the United States inspection system. FSIS found that Canadian policy allowed less than daily inspection coverage in processing establishments. By contrast, FSIS has a long established history of requiring the presence of an inspector in a U.S. processing establishment at least once per shift per day. FSIS also identified differences in the testing performed for Listeria monocytogenes. Canadian inspection officials require establishments to perform risk-based environmental sampling, as opposed to the finished product sampling required by FSIS.
In a management alert to the FSIS Administrator in July 2005, we reported that FSIS had not taken timely action to resolve the agency’s June 2003 finding that Canada does not require daily inspection coverage at processing establishments that export product to the United States. In addition, FSIS’ actions regarding Canadian processing establishments were not consistent with how the agency treated similarly situated countries. When FSIS identified less than daily inspection in establishments in Australia in June 2004, and in Belgium in July 2003, the establishments were immediately delisted and no longer allowed to export product to the United States. According to FSIS officials, Australia and Belgium did not pursue an equivalence determination, which was pursued by Canada. In response to our recommendations, FSIS agreed to initiate a number of actions to ensure that an equivalence determination was made regarding daily inspection coverage. However, FSIS asserted that a final decision could not be made until 2007. In the interim, FSIS agreed to implement measures that the agency believes will ensure there is no increased risk to the public health in the United States. These measures included doubling the sampling of Canadian shipments and increasing the presence of Canadian inspection officials in processing establishments exporting to the United States.
USDA/OIG-Audit No. 24601-05-Hy Page iii
Recommendation
In Brief FSIS needs to develop and implement protocols for postponing or canceling a scheduled enforcement review and for determining which equivalence deficiencies would call into question a country’s overall equivalence to U.S. standards. In addition, FSIS should analyze the deficiencies identified in the 2003 and 2005 reviews of the Canadian inspection system to determine whether additional actions are needed to address concerns regarding public health. Finally, FSIS needs to develop an action plan for determining whether the Canadian inspection system control for Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat products is equivalent to that of the United States.
Agency Response
FSIS agreed with the report’s recommendations. We have incorporated the agency’s response in the Findings and Recommendations section of this report, along with the OIG position. The response is included as Exhibit A.
OIG Position
Based on the response, we were able to reach management decision on the report’s five recommendations.
snip...
however, these reviews did not focus on the differences identified in 2003. These two reviews primarily evaluated the implementation of FSIS’ requirements related to BSE. In December 2004, FSIS officials performed a review of 15 Canadian establishments that slaughtered cattle and calves for export to the United States. This review found that Canadian establishments implemented FSIS’ requirements for BSE and controlled the use of hormone implants in calves. In February 2005, FSIS officials visited two Canadian beef slaughter establishments and three establishments that processed this product. This review found that
USDA/OIG-Audit No. 24601-05-Hy Page 8
7 Specified risk materials are prohibited from use for human food. The materials include the brain, skull, eyes, trigeminal ganglia, spinal cord, vertebral column (excluding the vertebrae of the tail, the traverse processes of the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, and the wings of the sacrum), dorsal root ganglia of cattle 30 months of age and older, tonsils, and distal ileum of the small intestine of all cattle.
Canadian inspection officials adequately implemented FSIS’ rules regarding BSE and specified risk materials.7
• Serious Concerns Continue in 2005. In May 2005, FSIS initiated a more thorough examination of the Canadian inspection system. FSIS visited 35 establishments, which included 3 meat slaughter establishments, 21 meat and poultry processing establishments, and 11 meat and poultry establishments that had both slaughter and processing operations. FSIS also evaluated operations for residue and microbiological testing at 12 laboratories. The review was completed in June 2005, and FSIS officials continued to find a number of deficiencies that call into question the equivalence of the Canadian inspection system. As in 2003, the deficiencies included the insufficient implementation of sanitation controls and HACCP requirements by establishments and the lack of enforcement in these areas by Canadian inspection officials. FSIS officials noted, but did not report, less than daily inspection at 17 processing establishments.
- In 21 of the 35 establishments, FSIS officials found that the Canadian inspection system did not have adequate sanitation controls. FSIS continued to find that Canadian establishments did not ensure sanitation controls were adequately implemented or evaluated for effectiveness. In addition, the establishments did not take corrective actions when sanitation controls failed to prevent direct product contamination or adulteration and did not maintain daily records of these activities.
- FSIS officials found that Canadian inspection officials did not implement certain HACCP requirements in 19 of the 35 establishments. FSIS again found that Canadian establishments were deficient in validating their HACCP plans, documenting corrective actions, and reassessing the adequacy of the plans.
- As part of the review of specific establishments, FSIS again evaluated whether Canadian inspection officials adequately enforced FSIS requirements. FSIS officials found that the Canadian inspection system did not have adequate controls to ensure FSIS requirements were enforced. FSIS officials identified deficiencies in the areas of sanitation controls and HACCP requirements that had not been previously noted by Canadian inspection officials. This condition occurred in 29 of the 35 establishments visited by FSIS officials.
USDA/OIG-Audit No. 24601-05-Hy Page 9
In 2003, FSIS identified concerns which caused the agency to question the equivalence of the Canadian inspection system and to express concern about U.S. public health. The same types of concerns were identified in the review completed in June 2005. FSIS should analyze the deficiencies identified in the 2003 and 2005 reviews to determine whether immediate actions are needed to address concerns regarding public health and if additional enforcement measures are needed.
• Less Than Daily Inspection in Processing Establishments. ...
snip...
http://www.usda.gov/oig/webdocs/24601-05-HY.pdf
Greetings,
question please, i do no understand the part that ;
This review found that
USDA/OIG-Audit No. 24601-05-Hy Page 8
>>> Canadian inspection officials adequately implemented FSIS’ rules regarding BSE and specified risk materials.7<<<
To: fdadockets@oc.fda.gov
Cc: ggraber@cvm.fda.gov; Linda.Grassie@fda.gov; BSE-L
Subject: Docket No. 2003N-0312 Animal Feed Safety System [TSS SUBMISSION TO DOCKET 2003N-0312]
Greetings FDA, my name is Terry S. Singeltary Sr., i lost my mother to hvCJD (Heidenhain Variant Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease). i would kindly like to comment on the proposed HACCP method of detecting and or preventing TSEs in the human/animal feed supply. it seems to me by implementing something that was designed for Astronauts instead of cattle, something that the GAO has already stated is terribly flawed (HACCP), i find it very disturbing to continue to insist on refusing to use rapid TSE TESTING in sufficient numbers to find TSEs, as with other Countries that they too once thought they were BSE free. for example, it took Italy 1 MILLION rapid TSE tests since 2001 to find 102 cases of BSE. THE USA has only tested 48,000 cattle in the 14 years of surveillance. there is documented proof that indeed the USA cattle have been infected with a TSE for decades, but the FDA/USDA and other USA Gov. agencies continue to conveniently ignore these findings. YOU must not ignore what Richard Marsh found. Plus, you must not ignore Asante/Collinge new findings that BSE transmission to the 129-methionine genotype can lead to an alternate phenotype that is indistinguishable from type 2 PrPSc, the commonest _sporadic_ CJD. The USA has been feeding ruminant by-products back to cattle, deer, elk and sheep for decades, and TSEs in these species have been recycled for feed for decades in the USA. The rendering process here in the USA will not kill this agent. to implement any HACCP over massive rapid TSE testing is only prolonging the inevitable, and will only allow the agent to spread further. it is simply a band-aid approach to something that needs a tourniquet... 3. Meat and Poultry: Better USDA Oversight and Enforcement of Safety Rules Needed to Reduce Risk of Foodborne Illnesses. GAO-02-902, August 30. FSIS Is Not Ensuring that Plants' HACCP Plans Meet Regulatory Requirements
snip...
According to FSIS's food safety systems correlation reviews, inspectors are not consistently identifying and documenting failures of plants' HACCP plans to meet regulatory requirements. Furthermore, FSIS does not expect its inspectors to determine whether HACCP plans are based on sound science--the cornerstone of an effective plan. While in-depth verification reviews examine the scientific aspects of HACCP plans, they have been conducted in very few plants, and consumer safety officers hired to review the scientific soundness of HACCP plans may take several years to assess the plans at all plants. Moreover, inspectors in 55 percent of the 5,000 plants nationwide did not document any HACCP violations during fiscal year 2001. When we brought this information to the attention of FSIS officials, they were surprised that so many plants had no HACCP violations for an entire year.
snip...
2. USDA believes that the title of the report is misleading. We disagree. We believe the title accurately reflects the concerns detailed throughout the body of the report.
snip...
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-02-902
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/rc00255.pdf
FDA acknowledges that it has not yet identified and inspected all firms subject to the ban” pg. 3 ;
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d02183.pdf
The report concludes that “federal actions do not sufficiently ensure that all BSE-infected animals or products are kept out or that if BSE were found it would be detected promptly and not spread to other cattle through animal feed or enter the human food chain” italics added pg. 3 ;
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d02183.pdf
and why does everybody conveniently ignore these findings;
Asante/Collinge et al, that BSE transmission to the 129-methionine genotype can lead to an alternate phenotype that is indistinguishable from type 2 PrPSc, the commonest _sporadic_ CJD;
http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/ac/03/slides/3923s1_OPH.htm
To be published in the Proceedings of the Fourth International Scientific Congress in Fur Animal Production. Toronto, Canada, August 21-28, 1988
Evidence That Transmissible Mink Encephalopathy Results from Feeding Infected Cattle
R.F. Marsh* and G.R. Hartsough •Department of Veterinary Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706; and ^Emba/Creat Lakes Ranch Service, Thiensville, Wisconsin 53092
ABSTRACT
Epidemiologic investigation of a new incidence of transmissible mink encephalopathy (TME) in Stetsonville, Wisconsin suggests that the disease may have resulted from feeding infected cattle to mink. This observation is supported by the transmission of a TME-like disease to experimentally inoculated cattle, and by the recent report of a new bovine spongiform encephalopathy in England. INTRODUCTION ....snip...end...TSS
http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/dockets/03n0312/03N-0312_emc-000001.txt
NSLP USDA CERTIFIED DEAD STOCK DOWNER COW SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM
>>>Question #1: How many kids have died from a pathogen outbreak involving ground beef that is dervied from the NSLP? Answer: ZERO<<<
>In the papers, the government alleges the meatpacking plant slaughtered and processed downer cows for nearly four years — from January 2004 to September 2007 — at the average rate of one every six weeks<
http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2009/09/suit-meatpacker-used-downer-cows-for-4.html
Wednesday, December 16, 2009 Congress to Sample School Lunches
http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2009/12/congress-to-sample-school-lunches.html
Do you actually believe all these schools recalled this meat because of a few cattle being abused,
see list ;
FNS All Regions Affected School Food Authorities By State United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service National School Lunch Program March 24, 2008 School Food Authorities Affected by Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. Beef Recall February 2006 - February 2008
http://www.fns.usda.gov/fns/safety/Hallmark-Westland_byState.pdf
IF url does not work above, go to this link to find out if any of your children and their school were part of this recall ;
go to this site ;
http://www.fns.usda.gov/fns/
left hand corner search ; Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. Beef Recall your should get this ;
http://65.216.150.153/texis/search?pr=FNS
1 through 1 of 1 matching documents, best matches first. sort by date 1: Hallmark - Westland SFA Reporting by State - 3-24-2008.xls Lunch Program March 24, 2008 School Food Authorities Affected by Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. Beef Recall February 2006 - February 2008 The U.S. Department of Agriculture ...
http://www.fns.usda.gov/...ety/Hallmark-Westland_byState.pdf
PLEASE SEE ALSO ;
Members of The HSUS are also concerned about the meat products provided to their children through the National School Lunch Program. More than 31 million school children receive lunches through the program each school day. To assist states in providing healthful, low-cost or free meals, USDA provides states with various commodities including ground beef. As evidenced by the HallmarkNVestland investigation and recall, the potential for downed animals to make their way into the National School Lunch Program is neither speculative nor hypothetical.
http://biotech.law.lsu.edu/cases/FDA/hsus-v-schafer-usda-complaint.pdf
Over the next 8-10 weeks, approximately 40% of all the adult mink on the farm died from TME. snip... The rancher was a ''dead stock'' feeder using mostly (>95%) downer or dead dairy cattle...
http://web.archive.org/web/20030516051623/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/mb/m09/tab05.pdf
PLEASE be aware, for 4 years, the USDA fed our children all across the Nation dead stock downer cows, the most high risk cattle for BSE aka mad cow disease and other dangerous pathogens. who will watch our children for CJD for the next 5+ decades ???
SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM FROM DOWNER CATTLE UPDATE
http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2009/05/who-will-watch-children.html
http://downercattle.blogspot.com/
please see full text here ;
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
SEAC EFFECT OF AGE ON THE PATHOGENESIS OF TRANSMISSIBLE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHIES SEAC 103/2
http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2009/11/seac-effect-of-age-on-pathogenesis-of.html
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Human Prion Diseases in the United States January 1, 2010 ***FINAL***
http://prionunitusaupdate2008.blogspot.com/2010/01/human-prion-diseases-in-united-states.html
my comments to PLosone here ;
http://www.plosone.org/annotation/listThread.action?inReplyTo=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fannotation%2F04ce2b24-613d-46e6-9802-4131e2bfa6fd&root=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fannotation%2F04ce2b24-613d-46e6-9802-4131e2bfa6fd
Friday, February 05, 2010
New Variant Creutzfelt Jakob Disease case reports United States 2010 A Review
http://vcjd.blogspot.com/2010/02/new-variant-creutzfelt-jakob-disease.html
Sunday, February 14, 2010
[Docket No. FSIS-2006-0011] FSIS Harvard Risk Assessment of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)
http://bseusa.blogspot.com/2010/02/docket-no-fsis-2006-0011-fsis-harvard.html
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Transmissible Spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) animal and human TSE in North America
14th ICID International Scientific Exchange Brochure -
14th ICID International Scientific Exchange Brochure -
Final Abstract Number: ISE.114
Session: International Scientific Exchange
Transmissible Spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) animal and human TSE in North America
update October 2009
T. Singeltary
Bacliff, TX, USA
Background:
An update on atypical BSE and other TSE in North America. Please remember, the typical U.K. c-BSE, the atypical l-BSE (BASE), and h-BSE have all been documented in North America, along with the typical scrapie's, and atypical Nor-98 Scrapie, and to date, 2 different strains of CWD, and also TME. All these TSE in different species have been rendered and fed to food producing animals for humans and animals in North America (TSE in cats and dogs ?), and that the trading of these TSEs via animals and products via the USA and Canada has been immense over the years, decades.
Methods:
12 years independent research of available data
Results:
I propose that the current diagnostic criteria for human TSEs only enhances and helps the spreading of human TSE from the continued belief of the UKBSEnvCJD only theory in 2009. With all the science to date refuting it, to continue to validate this old myth, will only spread this TSE agent through a multitude of potential routes and sources i.e. consumption, medical i.e., surgical, blood, dental, endoscopy, optical, nutritional supplements, cosmetics etc.
Conclusion:
I would like to submit a review of past CJD surveillance in the USA, and the urgent need to make all human TSE in the USA a reportable disease, in every state, of every age group, and to make this mandatory immediately without further delay. The ramifications of not doing so will only allow this agent to spread further in the medical, dental, surgical arena's. Restricting the reporting of CJD and or any human TSE is NOT scientific. Iatrogenic CJD knows NO age group, TSE knows no boundaries. I propose as with Aguzzi, Asante, Collinge, Caughey, Deslys, Dormont, Gibbs, Gajdusek, Ironside, Manuelidis, Marsh, et al and many more, that the world of TSE Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy is far from an exact science, but there is enough proven science to date that this myth should be put to rest once and for all, and that we move forward with a new classification for human and animal TSE that would properly identify the infected species, the source species, and then the route.
http://ww2.isid.org/Downloads/14th_ICID_ISE_Abstracts.pdf
International Society for Infectious Diseases Web: http://www.isid.org/
http://transmissiblespongiformencephalopathy.blogspot.com/2010/02/transmissible-spongiform-encephalopathy.html
Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy
http://transmissiblespongiformencephalopathy.blogspot.com/
TSS
Subject: School Food Safety Program Based on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point Principles (HACCP); Approval of Information Collection Request
[Federal Register: February 24, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 36)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 8239]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr24fe10-1]
========================================================================
Rules and Regulations
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains regulatory documents
having general applicability and legal effect, most of which are keyed
to and codified in the Code of Federal Regulations, which is published
under 50 titles pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 1510.
The Code of Federal Regulations is sold by the Superintendent of Documents.
Prices of new books are listed in the first FEDERAL REGISTER issue of each
week.
========================================================================
[[Page 8239]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food and Nutrition Service
7 CFR Parts 210 and 220
[FNS-2008-0033]
RIN 0584-AD65
School Food Safety Program Based on Hazard Analysis and Critical
Control Point Principles (HACCP); Approval of Information Collection
Request
AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service, USDA.
ACTION: Final rule; approval of information collection request.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The final rule entitled School Food Safety Program Based on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point Principles (HACCP) was published on December 15, 2009, which implemented a legislative provision requiring school food authorities participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or the School Breakfast Program (SBP) to develop a school food safety program for the preparation and service of school meals served to children. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) cleared the associated information collection requirements (ICR) on November 2, 2009. This document announces approval of the ICR.
DATES: The ICR associated with the final rule published in the Federal Register on December 15, 2009, at 74 FR 66213, was approved by OMB on December 30, 2009, under OMB Control Number 0584-0550.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lynn Rodgers-Kuperman, Chief, Program Analysis and Monitoring Branch, Child Nutrition Division, Food and Nutrition Service, USDA, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 640, Alexandria, Virginia 22302, (703) 305-2600, or Lynn.Rogers@fns.usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The December 15, 2009 (74 FR 66213), final rule implemented a legislative provision which requires school food authorities participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or the School Breakfast Program (SBP) to develop a school food safety program for the preparation and service of school meals served to children. The school food safety program must be based on the (HACCP) system established by the Secretary of Agriculture. The food safety program enables schools to take systematic action to prevent or minimize the risk of food-borne illness among children participating in the NSLP and SBP. The information collection requirements were approved by OMB on December 30, 2009.
Dated: February 4, 2010.
Julia Paradis,
Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-3476 Filed 2-23-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/2010-3476.htm
Foodborne Disease Outbreaks in United States Schools: Discussion
Discussion
Between 1973 and 1997, >600 foodborne disease outbreaks in schools were reported to CDC. These outbreaks resulted in nearly 50 000 illnesses, >1500 hospitalizations and 1 death. This represents ~5% of all foodborne disease outbreaks and 12% of all outbreak-associated cases reported to CDC. The three most commonly identified etiologic agents were Salmonella, S. aureus and C. perfringens. The percentage of outbreaks of known etiology due to Salmonella serotype Enteritidis increased over the surveillance period, whereas the percentage caused by S. aureus decreased. Other notable trends include an 8-fold decrease in the percentage of outbreaks due to turkey, a 3-fold increase in outbreaks linked to salads and a decline in the number of milk-associated outbreaks. Whether these changes reflect variation in the relative safety of these items, a change in dietary habits or both cannot be determined with certainty from these data. Nevertheless some of the changes may be attributed to fewer tours of milk dairies and raw milk tastings and a large increase in the number of salads consumed.
The majority of outbreaks with known vehicles were caused by foods prepared on school premises. Therefore prevention efforts should focus on school-based interventions. Practices identified as contributing to outbreaks in schools include improper refrigeration, prolonged handling and inadequate reheating of cooked foods.[7] Following established food safety guidelines on food preparation, handling, storage and service can greatly reduce the risk of foodborne disease outbreaks.[13-15] All meat and poultry should be thoroughly cooked, cooked foods not used immediately should be rapidly chilled to refrigeration temperature (<40°f)>160°F), that the temperature of egg-containing products be carefully monitored and that devices used to mix or prepare raw eggs be regularly disassembled, cleaned and sanitized. Pasteurized eggs should be used for all meals requiring large quantities of pooled eggs and are the best choice for all recipes containing eggs.
Several outbreaks in schools have been attributed to contamination of food by food-handlers who worked while ill[6, 11] or had poor personal hygiene.[17, 18] In our review of reported foodborne outbreaks in school, 57% of outbreaks were attributed to likely contamination by a food-handler. The adoption of a work policy that includes paid leave for food handlers with gastroenteritis would probably increase compliance with illness-related work exclusion policies. Training and certifying all food handlers in school cafeterias in specific techniques, such as good personal hygiene, adequate hand washing, proper cooling and reheating of foods and methods of preventing cross-contamination between cooked and raw foods, would also likely reduce the incidence of foodborne disease outbreaks.[19]
In addition to promoting proper food handling and hygiene practices among school employees, it is important that schools purchase foodstuffs that have been produced safely. Purchase contracts for meat, poultry and eggs often have not stipulated food safety criteria.[20] Requiring such foods to be produced under Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) or egg quality assurance plans that meet microbiologic performance requirements would be an important addition to school food safety. During school year 2000 the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), which annually purchases >100 million pounds of beef products for the National School Lunch Program and other federal food and nutrition programs, began requiring that ground beef purchased through the program test negative for both E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella.[21] However, USDA directly provides only a small percentage of food served in schools. School food authorities purchase 83% of the food served in school lunch programs and all of the food served in school breakfast programs.[20] Additional efforts to assure the purchase of safe food stuffs may be an important step, although the extent to which this would increase the risk of foodborne outbreaks in schools is not clear. Recent US declines in Salmonella and Campylobacter are credited to the mandated HACCP rule for meat and poultry. The changes in incidence of foodborne infections have occurred in the context of the introduction of the HACCP regulations for meat and poultry in processing plants, increased attention to egg and fresh produce safety, industry efforts, food safety education, increased regulation of imported food and other prevention measures.[22]
The risk of outbreaks caused by bacterial and parasitic pathogens could be further reduced through the broader application of irradiation pasteurization of solid foods using low-dose gamma rays, radiographs or electron beams.[23-25] Although widespread use of this technology has been hampered by the perception of consumer concerns,[26] the use of irradiation to pasteurize food has been endorsed by the World Health Organization, the US Department of Health and Human Services, the USDA, the American Medical Association and the American Public Health Association.[26-29] Irradiation pasteurization of meat and poultry used in schools would be an important further step in reducing outbreaks caused by to bacterial pathogens such as E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella. Because viral foodborne pathogens such as hepatitis A and Norwalk-like viruses are more radioresistant, irradiation pasteurization is less likely to prevent outbreaks due to these pathogens.
The limitations of our report should be recognized. The number of foodborne outbreaks reported by this passive surveillance system represents only a small proportion of those that occur. Foodborne outbreaks caused by an etiologic agent with a short incubation period (e.g. bacterial toxins) are more likely to be recognized as common source outbreaks than are diseases with longer incubation periods (e.g. hepatitis A). Furthermore our report likely underestimates the proportion of viral gastroenteritis outbreaks in schools, because stool and serum testing of specimens for viral pathogens (e.g. Norwalk-like viruses) is not widely available, making confirmation of these outbreaks more difficult. Outbreaks caused by organisms that are not routinely screened for by laboratories or that require special media for detection, such as E. coli O157:H7, Norwalk-like viruses, Vibrio species, Yersinia, C. perfringens and Campylobacter may be underrepresented. In addition testing of some organisms (e.g. E. coli O157:H7, Norwalk-like viruses, enzyme immunoassay for Giardia and toxin testing) became available during the course of the time period covered in this review. Information on the size and other characteristics of affected schools was not available. Other limitations include lack of information about how factors contributing to outbreak were determined and lack of information on the specific school setting (e.g. elementary school, high school or university). A recently published primer directed to primary care physicians, who are more likely to see the index case of a potential food-related disease outbreak, is a teaching tool for primary care physicians about foodborne illness and to remind them of their important role in recognizing suspicious symptoms, disease clusters and etiologic agents and reporting cases of foodborne illness to public health authorities.[30]
Relative to the number of meals served in America's schools, the number of reported outbreaks of foodborne illness may appear relatively small. Nevertheless the cumulative disease burden on this vulnerable population is considerable. Adequate training of school staff and the integration of food safety criteria into purchase contracts are measures that can be immediately employed to reduce the burden of foodborne disease among school children. Investigations of foodborne disease outbreaks in schools and continued outbreak surveillance are needed to identify trends in disease frequency, to detect the emergence of new causes of foodborne illness and to ensure the highest standards of food safety for school children in America.
Foodborne disease websites: www.cdc.gov/foodnet, http://www.foodsafety.gov/, http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/,
www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/foodborneinfections
and http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/outbreak/default.htm.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/439841_4
Q: You've been very vocal about your belief that HACCP [Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points] systems employed by the meat industry are 'a hoax.' If you were writing the meat safety rules, what would they look like?
A: Number one, HACCP was advertised as being science-based, and it is not. HACCP was designed by Pillsbury 20-30 years ago. They were making fully-cooked, ready-to-eat food for the astronaut program and it had to be guaranteed safe. Well, those were highly-processed, fully-cooked ready-to-eat-foods--the pathogens would be cooked out--they all had a real "kill step."
Well, the USDA saw the HACCP program and thought, 'Gee, that sounds really good. Lets apply that meat inspection.' The problem is the vast majority of what we process in meat plants is not fully-cooked, ready-to-eat, it is raw.
The USDA shouldn't use the term HACCP unless the products they are working with are fully cooked.
Number two, when the agency required the industry to implement HACCP, the agency said that under the program the USDA's role would be hands-off. That is an absolute disaster.
The USDA cannot be hands-off.
Under the transition to HACCP, the USDA knowingly acquiesced its authority back to the industry. It's an absolute disaster waiting to happen.
The natural long-term consequences of the agency adopting a hands-off, non-involvement role is ongoing outbreaks and recurring recalls all the time now.
HACCP cannot work in the raw meat industry.
I really think that meat inspection should be moved from the USDA, and that a separate agency should be created to perform inspection of not only meat and poultry but also produce, which is currently assigned to the FDA.
http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2009/11/qa-with-meatpacking-maverick-munsell/index.html?p=2
A: I say it's embarassing, because it should be embarassing to the USDA that, in spite of their "science-based" meat inspection program we have all these ongoing outbreaks and recalls. It should also be embarrassing to our industry.
It's been 11 year since the biggest packers implemented the HACCP program. You'd think that by this point the program would be maturing and paying dividends, but in fact it's going the opposite direction.
We've got to finally realize that the consuming pubic are going to see through this--this façade. At times I wonder if the word "embarrassing" is not the right word. The overarching, more important concern is food safety and sick consumers and people who are dying.
People are dying. A lot of people are getting sick, this should be an embarrassment to this industry, and to the USDA.
http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2009/11/qa-with-meatpacking-maverick-munsell/
From: TSS
Subject: Food Safety and Inspection Service Assessment of the Equivalence of the Canadian Inspection System Report No: 24601-05-HY OIG
Date: January 12, 2006 at 7:22 am PST
Audit Report
Food Safety and Inspection Service
Assessment of the Equivalence of the
Canadian Inspection System
Report No. 24601-05-Hy December 2005
snip...
Executive Summary
Food Safety and Inspection Service Assessment of the Equivalence of the Canadian Inspection System (Audit Report No. 24601-05-Hy)
Results in Brief We evaluated the Food Safety and Inspection Service’s (FSIS) assessment of the equivalence of the Canadian inspection system for meat and poultry products. In a November 6, 2003, memorandum, the FSIS Administrator and the Under Secretary for Food Safety identified serious concerns with the Canadian inspection system. They noted in the memorandum that these concerns had the potential for compromising public health. We found FSIS did not timely address these serious concerns. For example, in July 2003, FSIS identified that Canadian inspection officials were not enforcing certain pathogen reduction and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system regulations. These same types of concerns were identified again in June 2005, almost 2 years later.
Timely actions were not taken because FSIS does not have protocols or guidelines for evaluating deficiencies in a country’s inspection system that could jeopardize a country’s overall equivalence determination. In addition, FSIS did not institute compensating controls (e.g., increased port-of-entry testing) to ensure that public health was not compromised while deficiencies were present. Over 4.4 billion pounds of Canadian processed product entered U.S. commerce from January 1, 2003 through May 31, 2005. In FSIS’ information system, the products were categorized as cuts and trimmings of raw product as well as products with additional processing from pork, veal, beef, poultry, and lamb. These products were produced and allowed to be exported to the United States even though FSIS officials questioned the equivalence of the Canadian inspection system.
FSIS regulations1 require foreign inspection systems to provide standards equivalent to those of the United States. These requirements include the implementation of sanitation controls and HACCP requirements. Sanitation controls cover all aspects of facility and equipment sanitation, the prevention of actual or potential instances of product cross-contamination, good personal hygiene practices, and good product handling and storage practices. All plants must develop, adopt, and implement a HACCP plan for each of their processes. Under HACCP, plants identify critical control points during their processes where hazards such as microbial contamination can occur, establish controls to prevent or reduce those hazards, and maintain records documenting that controls are working as intended.
In July 2003, as part of an onsite review, FSIS identified serious concerns with the Canadian inspection system. These concerns included the
1 Title 9, Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) § 327.2 (a) (2) and 9 C.F.R. § 381.196 (a) (2), January 1, 2005 edition.
USDA/OIG-Audit No. 24601-05-Hy Page ii
insufficient implementation of sanitation controls and HACCP requirements by establishments and the lack of enforcement in these areas by Canadian inspection officials. Based on these concerns, FSIS proposed an enforcement review in 2004. (Enforcement reviews can lead to a determination that a country’s system is not equivalent to U.S. standards and, thus, not eligible to export to the United States). The proposed 2004 enforcement review was not conducted and FSIS officials did not reassess Canada’s implementation and enforcement of sanitation controls and HAACP requirements until almost 2 years later. When FSIS officials finally returned to Canada in May 2005, they continued to find the same types of deficiencies they had found in 2003. FSIS should analyze the deficiencies identified in the 2003 and 2005 reviews to determine whether immediate actions are needed to address concerns regarding public health and if additional enforcement measures are needed.
FSIS’ analysis of the regulations governing the Canadian inspection system identified two areas which may not be equivalent to the United States inspection system. FSIS found that Canadian policy allowed less than daily inspection coverage in processing establishments. By contrast, FSIS has a long established history of requiring the presence of an inspector in a U.S. processing establishment at least once per shift per day. FSIS also identified differences in the testing performed for Listeria monocytogenes. Canadian inspection officials require establishments to perform risk-based environmental sampling, as opposed to the finished product sampling required by FSIS.
In a management alert to the FSIS Administrator in July 2005, we reported that FSIS had not taken timely action to resolve the agency’s June 2003 finding that Canada does not require daily inspection coverage at processing establishments that export product to the United States. In addition, FSIS’ actions regarding Canadian processing establishments were not consistent with how the agency treated similarly situated countries. When FSIS identified less than daily inspection in establishments in Australia in June 2004, and in Belgium in July 2003, the establishments were immediately delisted and no longer allowed to export product to the United States. According to FSIS officials, Australia and Belgium did not pursue an equivalence determination, which was pursued by Canada. In response to our recommendations, FSIS agreed to initiate a number of actions to ensure that an equivalence determination was made regarding daily inspection coverage. However, FSIS asserted that a final decision could not be made until 2007. In the interim, FSIS agreed to implement measures that the agency believes will ensure there is no increased risk to the public health in the United States. These measures included doubling the sampling of Canadian shipments and increasing the presence of Canadian inspection officials in processing establishments exporting to the United States.
USDA/OIG-Audit No. 24601-05-Hy Page iii
Recommendation
In Brief FSIS needs to develop and implement protocols for postponing or canceling a scheduled enforcement review and for determining which equivalence deficiencies would call into question a country’s overall equivalence to U.S. standards. In addition, FSIS should analyze the deficiencies identified in the 2003 and 2005 reviews of the Canadian inspection system to determine whether additional actions are needed to address concerns regarding public health. Finally, FSIS needs to develop an action plan for determining whether the Canadian inspection system control for Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat products is equivalent to that of the United States.
Agency Response
FSIS agreed with the report’s recommendations. We have incorporated the agency’s response in the Findings and Recommendations section of this report, along with the OIG position. The response is included as Exhibit A.
OIG Position
Based on the response, we were able to reach management decision on the report’s five recommendations.
snip...
however, these reviews did not focus on the differences identified in 2003. These two reviews primarily evaluated the implementation of FSIS’ requirements related to BSE. In December 2004, FSIS officials performed a review of 15 Canadian establishments that slaughtered cattle and calves for export to the United States. This review found that Canadian establishments implemented FSIS’ requirements for BSE and controlled the use of hormone implants in calves. In February 2005, FSIS officials visited two Canadian beef slaughter establishments and three establishments that processed this product. This review found that
USDA/OIG-Audit No. 24601-05-Hy Page 8
7 Specified risk materials are prohibited from use for human food. The materials include the brain, skull, eyes, trigeminal ganglia, spinal cord, vertebral column (excluding the vertebrae of the tail, the traverse processes of the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, and the wings of the sacrum), dorsal root ganglia of cattle 30 months of age and older, tonsils, and distal ileum of the small intestine of all cattle.
Canadian inspection officials adequately implemented FSIS’ rules regarding BSE and specified risk materials.7
• Serious Concerns Continue in 2005. In May 2005, FSIS initiated a more thorough examination of the Canadian inspection system. FSIS visited 35 establishments, which included 3 meat slaughter establishments, 21 meat and poultry processing establishments, and 11 meat and poultry establishments that had both slaughter and processing operations. FSIS also evaluated operations for residue and microbiological testing at 12 laboratories. The review was completed in June 2005, and FSIS officials continued to find a number of deficiencies that call into question the equivalence of the Canadian inspection system. As in 2003, the deficiencies included the insufficient implementation of sanitation controls and HACCP requirements by establishments and the lack of enforcement in these areas by Canadian inspection officials. FSIS officials noted, but did not report, less than daily inspection at 17 processing establishments.
- In 21 of the 35 establishments, FSIS officials found that the Canadian inspection system did not have adequate sanitation controls. FSIS continued to find that Canadian establishments did not ensure sanitation controls were adequately implemented or evaluated for effectiveness. In addition, the establishments did not take corrective actions when sanitation controls failed to prevent direct product contamination or adulteration and did not maintain daily records of these activities.
- FSIS officials found that Canadian inspection officials did not implement certain HACCP requirements in 19 of the 35 establishments. FSIS again found that Canadian establishments were deficient in validating their HACCP plans, documenting corrective actions, and reassessing the adequacy of the plans.
- As part of the review of specific establishments, FSIS again evaluated whether Canadian inspection officials adequately enforced FSIS requirements. FSIS officials found that the Canadian inspection system did not have adequate controls to ensure FSIS requirements were enforced. FSIS officials identified deficiencies in the areas of sanitation controls and HACCP requirements that had not been previously noted by Canadian inspection officials. This condition occurred in 29 of the 35 establishments visited by FSIS officials.
USDA/OIG-Audit No. 24601-05-Hy Page 9
In 2003, FSIS identified concerns which caused the agency to question the equivalence of the Canadian inspection system and to express concern about U.S. public health. The same types of concerns were identified in the review completed in June 2005. FSIS should analyze the deficiencies identified in the 2003 and 2005 reviews to determine whether immediate actions are needed to address concerns regarding public health and if additional enforcement measures are needed.
• Less Than Daily Inspection in Processing Establishments. ...
snip...
http://www.usda.gov/oig/webdocs/24601-05-HY.pdf
Greetings,
question please, i do no understand the part that ;
This review found that
USDA/OIG-Audit No. 24601-05-Hy Page 8
>>> Canadian inspection officials adequately implemented FSIS’ rules regarding BSE and specified risk materials.7<<<
To: fdadockets@oc.fda.gov
Cc: ggraber@cvm.fda.gov; Linda.Grassie@fda.gov; BSE-L
Subject: Docket No. 2003N-0312 Animal Feed Safety System [TSS SUBMISSION TO DOCKET 2003N-0312]
Greetings FDA, my name is Terry S. Singeltary Sr., i lost my mother to hvCJD (Heidenhain Variant Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease). i would kindly like to comment on the proposed HACCP method of detecting and or preventing TSEs in the human/animal feed supply. it seems to me by implementing something that was designed for Astronauts instead of cattle, something that the GAO has already stated is terribly flawed (HACCP), i find it very disturbing to continue to insist on refusing to use rapid TSE TESTING in sufficient numbers to find TSEs, as with other Countries that they too once thought they were BSE free. for example, it took Italy 1 MILLION rapid TSE tests since 2001 to find 102 cases of BSE. THE USA has only tested 48,000 cattle in the 14 years of surveillance. there is documented proof that indeed the USA cattle have been infected with a TSE for decades, but the FDA/USDA and other USA Gov. agencies continue to conveniently ignore these findings. YOU must not ignore what Richard Marsh found. Plus, you must not ignore Asante/Collinge new findings that BSE transmission to the 129-methionine genotype can lead to an alternate phenotype that is indistinguishable from type 2 PrPSc, the commonest _sporadic_ CJD. The USA has been feeding ruminant by-products back to cattle, deer, elk and sheep for decades, and TSEs in these species have been recycled for feed for decades in the USA. The rendering process here in the USA will not kill this agent. to implement any HACCP over massive rapid TSE testing is only prolonging the inevitable, and will only allow the agent to spread further. it is simply a band-aid approach to something that needs a tourniquet... 3. Meat and Poultry: Better USDA Oversight and Enforcement of Safety Rules Needed to Reduce Risk of Foodborne Illnesses. GAO-02-902, August 30. FSIS Is Not Ensuring that Plants' HACCP Plans Meet Regulatory Requirements
snip...
According to FSIS's food safety systems correlation reviews, inspectors are not consistently identifying and documenting failures of plants' HACCP plans to meet regulatory requirements. Furthermore, FSIS does not expect its inspectors to determine whether HACCP plans are based on sound science--the cornerstone of an effective plan. While in-depth verification reviews examine the scientific aspects of HACCP plans, they have been conducted in very few plants, and consumer safety officers hired to review the scientific soundness of HACCP plans may take several years to assess the plans at all plants. Moreover, inspectors in 55 percent of the 5,000 plants nationwide did not document any HACCP violations during fiscal year 2001. When we brought this information to the attention of FSIS officials, they were surprised that so many plants had no HACCP violations for an entire year.
snip...
2. USDA believes that the title of the report is misleading. We disagree. We believe the title accurately reflects the concerns detailed throughout the body of the report.
snip...
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-02-902
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/rc00255.pdf
FDA acknowledges that it has not yet identified and inspected all firms subject to the ban” pg. 3 ;
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d02183.pdf
The report concludes that “federal actions do not sufficiently ensure that all BSE-infected animals or products are kept out or that if BSE were found it would be detected promptly and not spread to other cattle through animal feed or enter the human food chain” italics added pg. 3 ;
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d02183.pdf
and why does everybody conveniently ignore these findings;
Asante/Collinge et al, that BSE transmission to the 129-methionine genotype can lead to an alternate phenotype that is indistinguishable from type 2 PrPSc, the commonest _sporadic_ CJD;
http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/ac/03/slides/3923s1_OPH.htm
To be published in the Proceedings of the Fourth International Scientific Congress in Fur Animal Production. Toronto, Canada, August 21-28, 1988
Evidence That Transmissible Mink Encephalopathy Results from Feeding Infected Cattle
R.F. Marsh* and G.R. Hartsough •Department of Veterinary Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706; and ^Emba/Creat Lakes Ranch Service, Thiensville, Wisconsin 53092
ABSTRACT
Epidemiologic investigation of a new incidence of transmissible mink encephalopathy (TME) in Stetsonville, Wisconsin suggests that the disease may have resulted from feeding infected cattle to mink. This observation is supported by the transmission of a TME-like disease to experimentally inoculated cattle, and by the recent report of a new bovine spongiform encephalopathy in England. INTRODUCTION ....snip...end...TSS
http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/dockets/03n0312/03N-0312_emc-000001.txt
NSLP USDA CERTIFIED DEAD STOCK DOWNER COW SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM
>>>Question #1: How many kids have died from a pathogen outbreak involving ground beef that is dervied from the NSLP? Answer: ZERO<<<
>In the papers, the government alleges the meatpacking plant slaughtered and processed downer cows for nearly four years — from January 2004 to September 2007 — at the average rate of one every six weeks<
http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2009/09/suit-meatpacker-used-downer-cows-for-4.html
Wednesday, December 16, 2009 Congress to Sample School Lunches
http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2009/12/congress-to-sample-school-lunches.html
Do you actually believe all these schools recalled this meat because of a few cattle being abused,
see list ;
FNS All Regions Affected School Food Authorities By State United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service National School Lunch Program March 24, 2008 School Food Authorities Affected by Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. Beef Recall February 2006 - February 2008
http://www.fns.usda.gov/fns/safety/Hallmark-Westland_byState.pdf
IF url does not work above, go to this link to find out if any of your children and their school were part of this recall ;
go to this site ;
http://www.fns.usda.gov/fns/
left hand corner search ; Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. Beef Recall your should get this ;
http://65.216.150.153/texis/search?pr=FNS
1 through 1 of 1 matching documents, best matches first. sort by date 1: Hallmark - Westland SFA Reporting by State - 3-24-2008.xls Lunch Program March 24, 2008 School Food Authorities Affected by Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. Beef Recall February 2006 - February 2008 The U.S. Department of Agriculture ...
http://www.fns.usda.gov/...ety/Hallmark-Westland_byState.pdf
PLEASE SEE ALSO ;
Members of The HSUS are also concerned about the meat products provided to their children through the National School Lunch Program. More than 31 million school children receive lunches through the program each school day. To assist states in providing healthful, low-cost or free meals, USDA provides states with various commodities including ground beef. As evidenced by the HallmarkNVestland investigation and recall, the potential for downed animals to make their way into the National School Lunch Program is neither speculative nor hypothetical.
http://biotech.law.lsu.edu/cases/FDA/hsus-v-schafer-usda-complaint.pdf
Over the next 8-10 weeks, approximately 40% of all the adult mink on the farm died from TME. snip... The rancher was a ''dead stock'' feeder using mostly (>95%) downer or dead dairy cattle...
http://web.archive.org/web/20030516051623/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/mb/m09/tab05.pdf
PLEASE be aware, for 4 years, the USDA fed our children all across the Nation dead stock downer cows, the most high risk cattle for BSE aka mad cow disease and other dangerous pathogens. who will watch our children for CJD for the next 5+ decades ???
SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM FROM DOWNER CATTLE UPDATE
http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2009/05/who-will-watch-children.html
http://downercattle.blogspot.com/
please see full text here ;
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
SEAC EFFECT OF AGE ON THE PATHOGENESIS OF TRANSMISSIBLE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHIES SEAC 103/2
http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2009/11/seac-effect-of-age-on-pathogenesis-of.html
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Human Prion Diseases in the United States January 1, 2010 ***FINAL***
http://prionunitusaupdate2008.blogspot.com/2010/01/human-prion-diseases-in-united-states.html
my comments to PLosone here ;
http://www.plosone.org/annotation/listThread.action?inReplyTo=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fannotation%2F04ce2b24-613d-46e6-9802-4131e2bfa6fd&root=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fannotation%2F04ce2b24-613d-46e6-9802-4131e2bfa6fd
Friday, February 05, 2010
New Variant Creutzfelt Jakob Disease case reports United States 2010 A Review
http://vcjd.blogspot.com/2010/02/new-variant-creutzfelt-jakob-disease.html
Sunday, February 14, 2010
[Docket No. FSIS-2006-0011] FSIS Harvard Risk Assessment of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)
http://bseusa.blogspot.com/2010/02/docket-no-fsis-2006-0011-fsis-harvard.html
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Transmissible Spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) animal and human TSE in North America
14th ICID International Scientific Exchange Brochure -
14th ICID International Scientific Exchange Brochure -
Final Abstract Number: ISE.114
Session: International Scientific Exchange
Transmissible Spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) animal and human TSE in North America
update October 2009
T. Singeltary
Bacliff, TX, USA
Background:
An update on atypical BSE and other TSE in North America. Please remember, the typical U.K. c-BSE, the atypical l-BSE (BASE), and h-BSE have all been documented in North America, along with the typical scrapie's, and atypical Nor-98 Scrapie, and to date, 2 different strains of CWD, and also TME. All these TSE in different species have been rendered and fed to food producing animals for humans and animals in North America (TSE in cats and dogs ?), and that the trading of these TSEs via animals and products via the USA and Canada has been immense over the years, decades.
Methods:
12 years independent research of available data
Results:
I propose that the current diagnostic criteria for human TSEs only enhances and helps the spreading of human TSE from the continued belief of the UKBSEnvCJD only theory in 2009. With all the science to date refuting it, to continue to validate this old myth, will only spread this TSE agent through a multitude of potential routes and sources i.e. consumption, medical i.e., surgical, blood, dental, endoscopy, optical, nutritional supplements, cosmetics etc.
Conclusion:
I would like to submit a review of past CJD surveillance in the USA, and the urgent need to make all human TSE in the USA a reportable disease, in every state, of every age group, and to make this mandatory immediately without further delay. The ramifications of not doing so will only allow this agent to spread further in the medical, dental, surgical arena's. Restricting the reporting of CJD and or any human TSE is NOT scientific. Iatrogenic CJD knows NO age group, TSE knows no boundaries. I propose as with Aguzzi, Asante, Collinge, Caughey, Deslys, Dormont, Gibbs, Gajdusek, Ironside, Manuelidis, Marsh, et al and many more, that the world of TSE Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy is far from an exact science, but there is enough proven science to date that this myth should be put to rest once and for all, and that we move forward with a new classification for human and animal TSE that would properly identify the infected species, the source species, and then the route.
http://ww2.isid.org/Downloads/14th_ICID_ISE_Abstracts.pdf
International Society for Infectious Diseases Web: http://www.isid.org/
http://transmissiblespongiformencephalopathy.blogspot.com/2010/02/transmissible-spongiform-encephalopathy.html
Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy
http://transmissiblespongiformencephalopathy.blogspot.com/
TSS
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Congress to Sample School Lunches
Congress to Sample School Lunches
12/16/2009 9:41:00 AM
WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will serve a sampling of traditional school lunch menu items to members of Congress next week to illustrate improvements its has made in the nutritional quality and taste of the $1.2 billion in school commodity foods and as well as win support to boost funding to continue reworking menus, reported the Washington Post.
http://www.foodproductdesign.com/news/2009/12/congress-to-sample-school-lunches.aspx
USDA will offer lawmakers a sampling of school lunches Agency seeks boost in funding to continue reworking menus
By Jane Black Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, December 11, 2009
Chicken fajita strips, sliced ham and canned green beans: That's what's for lunch one day next week for some lawmakers and congressional staffers, courtesy of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The menu offers the same products, known as commodity foods, that the agency provides every day to public schools across the nation.
The goal of next week's tasting is to show lawmakers the improvements the department has made in the nutritional quality -- and taste -- of the $1.2 billion in school commodity foods and to win support to fund further improvements. With one-third of American children overweight or obese, the USDA has been working to cut salt and fat and provide more fruits and vegetables.
"These guys are moving in the right direction," said Tony Geraci, food service director for Baltimore City public schools and a pioneer for healthful foods in schools. "Is it fixed? Hell, no. But at least now we're having conversations about this. Before, it was straight-up stonewalling."
The tasting is also an attempt to rehabilitate the reputation of the commodity foods program, which provides 15 to 20 percent of the food served in U.S. school cafeterias. Officially called USDA Foods, the program has long been perceived as a conflict of interest in the department's mission: to support American farmers and ranchers while overseeing nutrition programs for low-income families and schoolchildren.
Is the program a way to distribute meats, cheeses and other commodities that couldn't find a buyer on the open market? Or is the department really making choices based on public health?
Improving the quality of food provided free to schools is important at a time when school budgets are being squeezed. President Obama has proposed an additional $1 billion for child nutrition programs, including school lunch, in his 2010 budget.
But in the face of a projected federal deficit of $1.3 trillion , even the strongest supporters of school-lunch reform say that Congress is unlikely to approve a substantial funding increase when it takes up the issue next year.
To prepare for the Capitol Hill debut next week, the USDA offered samples to Secretary Tom Vilsack, who tried more than a dozen products, including canned green beans, apple slices and hamburger patties.
On paper, anyway, the green beans looked good. They are formulated to meet USDA specifications and have 64 percent less sodium than commercially available canned beans. For the 2010 school year, the agency has mandated that canned vegetables have no more than 140 milligrams of sodium per serving, 71 percent fewer than in the Food and Drug Administration's "healthy" standard.
The hamburger patties, developed for a pilot program last year to help fight childhood obesity, were 95 percent lean. The most similar commercial beef patty available is 92 percent lean.
The USDA offers more than 180 fresh and processed foods to schools, up from 54 in 1981. The products are provided to schools free, based on the number of students eligible for government assistance. Schools buy the rest of their ingredients from commercial suppliers.
School food directors say the quality of available commodities is excellent -- if schools choose wisely. The USDA offers high-quality dried fruits, nuts, brown rice, legumes and unprocessed meat, among other things.
Last month, the USDA announced that as part of the bonus commodity program, which is part of the commodity foods program and allows the agency to buy surplus food to help support prices for farmers, it would make available $33 million worth of apples, tart cherries and dried plums to schools and other programs. Some of the cherries will be processed into cherry-apple juice, with no artificial colors, flavors or sweeteners, for schools.
At least one challenge remains: persuading schools to embrace the more healthful options. Many schools lack kitchens and are at most capable of reheating prepared items. And many school food service directors do not have nutrition or culinary training.
They also know that they can sell more trays of greasy pizza and french fries to students than fruits and vegetables, a tactic that helps keep tight budgets in line. As food service director Geraci said: "If you have 20,000 lunch ladies that just want to open up a box of chicken nuggets, they're going to keep making them."
To encourage more healthful choices, the USDA is awaiting help from Congress when it takes up the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act next year. As part of the legislation, lawmakers are considering a measure that would allow the department to set strict standards for all food sold in schools, including vending machine fare. They are also considering how much new money to allocate to the $12 billion annual program.
Vilsack said he hopes Congress will make more money available.
"The nutritional value of these foods is going to be a little bit more expensive," said Vilsack, who said that he expects costs will rise as more students are granted access to free or reduced-price meals. "We've been making progress on the food safety side and on the nutrition side. But to take the next steps, it's going to require more resources."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/10/AR2009121001956.html
>>>To prepare for the Capitol Hill debut next week, the USDA offered samples to Secretary Tom Vilsack, <<<
>>>who tried more than a dozen products, including canned green beans, apple slices and hamburger patties. <<<
Greetings,
Holy mad cow, this will be just like those token slaughter house inspections and such they do for Japan, Korea, and the other trading partners. Tell them way in advance, and then serve em up the best. Give me a break. I wonder if some of those Congressman/woman were served up some dead stock downer cows, the most high risk cattle for mad cow disease, and other dangerous pathogens, like our children were for 4+ years, via the NSLP ? This should have NEVER happened. No, we must not let them forget. They refuse to speak of it, and I can't forget. It must not happen again. Hopefully, all this is not just hot air coming out of Washington, and indeed Congress plans on cleaning house. I have seen this hot air before, time and time again, and in the end, nothing but hot air. Case in point, the mad cow feed ban of August 4, 1997, and the Surveillance for BSE and other TSE. Your only kidding yourself if you don't think these children were not exposed to high risk dead stock downers. it should never happen again. but they hid it under the guise, (the beef recall), the largest ever (at that time), they mask this beef recall as 'animal abuse'. I don't get it. How was this beef tainted by animal abuse? I don't condone animal abuse, but what about child abuse ? and who will watch our children for the next 5+ decades for CJD ? with our CJD human TSE surveillance system in the USA, even if they are detected (?), they will go down as sporadic, or some odd phenotype that is spontaneous or some odd TSE from nothing $
The PrP TSE mad cow agent in humans can incubate up to 50+ years in some cases, in other cases, not so long. so, come back in 50+ years and confirm this. junk science, industry friendly regulations, and or just not complying with existing regulations have been rampant over the past 12 years I have been paying attention, it has been the norm. maybe sound science will prevail in the end, maybe not. but feeding children diseased and sick cows via the NSLP was flat wrong, and anyone that thinks the largest beef recall there from, was just because a few animals were abused, well, they too are just flat wrong as well. ...
WHO WILL WATCH THE CHILDREN FOR CJD OVER THE NEXT 5 + DECADES ???
Do you actually believe that the USDA et al jumped in on the law suit against Westland/Hallmark, at the time the largest beef recall in USA history, just because a few animals were abused on a video, or to cover their ass, for letting our children, from school district to school district, from state to state, be fed dead stock downer cows.
>>> In the papers, the government alleges the meatpacking plant slaughtered and processed downer cows for nearly four years — from January 2004 to September 2007 — at the average rate of one every six weeks... <<<
http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2009/09/suit-meatpacker-used-downer-cows-for-4.html
Do you actually believe all these schools recalled this meat because of a few cattle being abused,
see list ;
FNS All Regions Affected School Food Authorities By State United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service National School Lunch Program March 24, 2008 School Food Authorities Affected by Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. Beef Recall February 2006 - February 2008
http://www.fns.usda.gov/fns/safety/Hallmark-Westland_byState.pdf
IF url does not work above, go to this link to find out if any of your children and their school were part of this recall ; go to this site ;
http://www.fns.usda.gov/fns/
left hand corner search ; Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co.
Beef Recall your should get this ; http://65.216.150.153/texis/search?pr=FNS
1 through 1 of 1 matching documents, best matches first. sort by date 1: Hallmark - Westland SFA Reporting by State - 3-24-2008.xls Lunch Program March 24, 2008 School Food Authorities Affected by Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. Beef Recall February 2006 - February 2008 The U.S. Department of Agriculture ...
http://www.fns.usda.gov/...ety/Hallmark-Westland_byState.pdf
PLEASE SEE ALSO ;
Members of The HSUS are also concerned about the meat products provided to their children through the National School Lunch Program. More than 31 million school children receive lunches through the program each school day. To assist states in providing healthful, low-cost or free meals, USDA provides states with various commodities including ground beef. As evidenced by the HallmarkNVestland investigation and recall, the potential for downed animals to make their way into the National School Lunch Program is neither speculative nor hypothetical.
http://biotech.law.lsu.edu/cases/FDA/hsus-v-schafer-usda-complaint.pdf
Over the next 8-10 weeks, approximately 40% of all the adult mink on the farm died from TME. snip... The rancher was a ''dead stock'' feeder using mostly (>95%) downer or dead dairy cattle...
http://web.archive.org/web/20030516051623/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/mb/m09/tab05.pdf
Friday, September 4, 2009
FOIA REQUEST ON FEED RECALL PRODUCT 429,128 lbs. feed for ruminant animals may have been contaminated with prohibited material Recall # V-258-2009
http://madcowfeed.blogspot.com/2009/09/foia-request-on-feed-recall-product.html
Saturday, August 29, 2009
FOIA REQUEST FEED RECALL 2009 Product may have contained prohibited materials Bulk Whole Barley, Recall # V-256-2009
http://madcowfeed.blogspot.com/2009/08/foia-request-feed-recall-2009-product.html
C O N F I R M E D
----- Original Message ----- From: "Terry S. Singeltary Sr."To: Sent: Thursday, November 05, 2009 9:25 PM Subject: [BSE-L] re-FOIA REQUEST ON FEED RECALL PRODUCT contaminated with prohibited material Recall # V-258-2009 and Recall # V-256-2009
http://madcowfeed.blogspot.com/2009/11/re-foia-request-on-feed-recall-product.html
PLEASE be aware, for 4 years, the USDA fed our children all across the Nation dead stock downer cows, the most high risk cattle for BSE aka mad cow disease and other dangerous pathogens. who will watch our children for CJD for the next 5+ decades ???
SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM FROM DOWNER CATTLE UPDATE
http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2009/05/who-will-watch-children.html
http://downercattle.blogspot.com/
please see full text here ;
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
SEAC EFFECT OF AGE ON THE PATHOGENESIS OF TRANSMISSIBLE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHIES SEAC 103/2
http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2009/11/seac-effect-of-age-on-pathogenesis-of.html
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
R-CALF: 40 Groups Disagree With USDA's Latest BSE Court Submission
http://bse-atypical.blogspot.com/2009/11/r-calf-40-groups-disagree-with-usdas.html
Monday, October 19, 2009
Atypical BSE, BSE, and other human and animal TSE in North America Update October 19, 2009
http://bse-atypical.blogspot.com/2009/10/atypical-bse-bse-and-other-human-and.html
Sunday, September 6, 2009
MAD COW USA 1997 SECRET VIDEO
http://madcowusda.blogspot.com/2009/09/mad-cow-usa-1997-video.html
U.S.A. HIDING MAD COW DISEASE VICTIMS AS SPORADIC CJD ? see video at bottom
http://creutzfeldt-jakob-disease.blogspot.com/2009/07/usa-hiding-mad-cow-disease-victims-as.html
DAMNING TESTIMONY FROM STANLEY PRUSINER THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE WINNER ON PRIONS SPEAKING ABOUT ANN VENEMAN see video
http://maddeer.org/video/embedded/prusinerclip.html
CVM Annual Report Fiscal Year 2008: October 1, 2007-September 30, 2008
PUTTING LIPSTICK ON A PIG AND TAKING HER TO A DANCE...TSS
BSE Feed Rule Enforcement: A Decade of Success OFF TO A FAST START
http://madcowfeed.blogspot.com/2008/06/texas-firm-recalls-cattle-heads-that.html
2009 UPDATE ON ALABAMA AND TEXAS MAD COWS 2005 and 2006
http://bse-atypical.blogspot.com/2006/08/bse-atypical-texas-and-alabama-update.html
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
IMPORTATION OF CANADIAN CATTLE, BISON, SHEEP, AND GOATS INTO THE UNITED STATES 12/1/09
http://usdameatexport.blogspot.com/2009/12/importation-of-canadian-cattle-bison.html
Monday, November 30, 2009
USDA AND OIE COLLABORATE TO EXCLUDE ATYPICAL SCRAPIE NOR-98 ANIMAL HEALTH CODE
http://nor-98.blogspot.com/2009/11/usda-and-oie-collaborate-to-exclude.html
Monday, November 23, 2009
BSE GBR RISK ASSESSMENTS UPDATE NOVEMBER 23, 2009 COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES AND O.I.E.
http://docket-aphis-2006-0041.blogspot.com/2009/11/bse-gbr-risk-assessments-update.html
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Intraspecies transmission of L-type-like bovine spongiform encephalopathy detected in Japan
http://bse-atypical.blogspot.com/2009/12/intraspecies-transmission-of-l-type.html
*** Monday, December 14, 2009 R.I.P. MOM ***
Similarities between Forms of Sheep Scrapie and Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Are Encoded by Distinct Prion Types
http://nor-98.blogspot.com/2009/12/similarities-between-forms-of-sheep.html
NAIS COOL BSE
http://naiscoolyes.blogspot.com/2009/12/nais-cool-from-farm-to-fork-mad-cow.html
Saturday, December 05, 2009
Molecular Model of Prion Transmission to Humans
http://creutzfeldt-jakob-disease.blogspot.com/2009/12/molecular-model-of-prion-transmission.html
Thursday, November 05, 2009
Incidence and spectrum of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease variants with mixed phenotype and co-occurrence of PrPSc types: an updated classification
http://creutzfeldt-jakob-disease.blogspot.com/2009/11/incidence-and-spectrum-of-sporadic.html
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Characteristics of Established and Proposed Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Variants
http://creutzfeldt-jakob-disease.blogspot.com/2009/08/characteristics-of-established-and.html
Sunday, August 09, 2009
CJD...Straight talk with...James Ironside...and...Terry Singeltary... 2009
http://creutzfeldt-jakob-disease.blogspot.com/2009/08/cjdstraight-talk-withjames.html
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Monitoring the occurrence of emerging forms of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in the United States 2003 revisited 2009
http://cjdusa.blogspot.com/2009/06/monitoring-occurrence-of-emerging-forms.html
JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
MARCH 26, 2003
Send Post-Publication Peer Review to journal:
Re: RE-Monitoring the occurrence of emerging forms of Creutzfeldt-Jakob
disease in the United States
Email Terry S. Singeltary:
flounder9@verizon.net
I lost my mother to hvCJD (Heidenhain Variant CJD). I would like to comment on the CDC's attempts to monitor the occurrence of emerging forms of CJD. Asante, Collinge et al [1] have reported that BSE transmission to the 129-methionine genotype can lead to an alternate phenotype that is indistinguishable from type 2 PrPSc, the commonest sporadic CJD. However, CJD and all human TSEs are not reportable nationally. CJD and all human TSEs must be made reportable in every state and internationally. I hope that the CDC does not continue to expect us to still believe that the 85%+ of all CJD cases which are sporadic are all spontaneous, without route/source. We have many TSEs in the USA in both animal and man. CWD in deer/elk is spreading rapidly and CWD does transmit to mink, ferret, cattle, and squirrel monkey by intracerebral inoculation. With the known incubation periods in other TSEs, oral transmission studies of CWD may take much longer. Every victim/family of CJD/TSEs should be asked about route and source of this agent. To prolong this will only spread the agent and needlessly expose others. In light of the findings of Asante and Collinge et al, there should be drastic measures to safeguard the medical and surgical arena from sporadic CJDs and all human TSEs. I only ponder how many sporadic CJDs in the USA are type 2 PrPSc?
http://www.neurology.org/cgi/eletters/60/2/176#535
LANCET INFECTIOUS DISEASE JOURNAL
Volume 3, Number 8 01 August 2003
Newsdesk
Tracking spongiform encephalopathies in North America
Xavier Bosch
My name is Terry S Singeltary Sr, and I live in Bacliff, Texas. I lost my mom to hvCJD (Heidenhain variant CJD) and have been searching for answers ever since. What I have found is that we have not been told the truth. CWD in deer and elk is a small portion of a much bigger problem.
49-year-old Singeltary is one of a number of people who have remained largely unsatisfied after being told that a close relative died from a rapidly progressive dementia compatible with spontaneous Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). So he decided to gather hundreds of documents on transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) and realised that if Britons could get variant CJD from bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), Americans might get a similar disorder from chronic wasting disease (CWD)the relative of mad cow disease seen among deer and elk in the USA. Although his feverish search did not lead him to the smoking gun linking CWD to a similar disease in North American people, it did uncover a largely disappointing situation.
Singeltary was greatly demoralised at the few attempts to monitor the occurrence of CJD and CWD in the USA. Only a few states have made CJD reportable. Human and animal TSEs should be reportable nationwide and internationally, he complained in a letter to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA 2003; 285: 733). I hope that the CDC does not continue to expect us to still believe that the 85% plus of all CJD cases which are sporadic are all spontaneous, without route or source.
Until recently, CWD was thought to be confined to the wild in a small region in Colorado. But since early 2002, it has been reported in other areas, including Wisconsin, South Dakota, and the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Indeed, the occurrence of CWD in states that were not endemic previously increased concern about a widespread outbreak and possible transmission to people and cattle.
To date, experimental studies have proven that the CWD agent can be transmitted to cattle by intracerebral inoculation and that it can cross the mucous membranes of the digestive tract to initiate infection in lymphoid tissue before invasion of the central nervous system. Yet the plausibility of CWD spreading to people has remained elusive.
Part of the problem seems to stem from the US surveillance system. CJD is only reported in those areas known to be endemic foci of CWD. Moreover, US authorities have been criticised for not having performed enough prionic tests in farm deer and elk.
Although in November last year the US Food and Drug Administration issued a directive to state public-health and agriculture officials prohibiting material from CWD-positive animals from being used as an ingredient in feed for any animal species, epidemiological control and research in the USA has been quite different from the situation in the
UK and Europe regarding BSE.
Getting data on TSEs in the USA from the government is like pulling teeth, Singeltary argues. You get it when they want you to have it and only what they want you to have.Norman Foster, director of the Cognitive Disorders Clinic at the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI, USA), says that current surveillance of prion disease in people in the USA is inadequate to detect whether CWD is occurring in human beings; adding that, the cases that we know about are reassuring, because they do not suggest the appearance of a new variant of CJD in the USA or atypical features in patients that might be exposed to CWD. However, until we establish a system that identifies and analyses a high proportion of suspected prion disease cases we will not know for sure. The USA should develop a system modelled on that established in the UK, he points out.
Ali Samii, a neurologist at Seattle VA Medical Center who recently reported the cases of three hunterstwo of whom were friendswho died from pathologically confirmed CJD, says that at present there are insufficient data to claim transmission of CWD into humans; adding that [only] by asking [the questions of venison consumption and deer/elk hunting] in every case can we collect suspect cases and look into the plausibility of transmission further. Samii argues that by making both doctors and hunters more aware of the possibility of prions spreading through eating venison, doctors treating hunters with dementia can consider a possible prion disease, and doctors treating CJD patients will know to ask whether they ate venison. CDC spokesman Ermias Belay says that the CDC will not be investigating the [Samii] cases because there is no evidence that the men ate CWD-infected meat. He notes that although the likelihood of CWD jumping the species barrier to infect humans cannot be ruled out 100% and that [we] cannot be 100% sure that CWD does not exist in humans & the data seeking evidence of CWD transmission to humans have been very limited.
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473309903007151/%20fulltext
>>>he complained in a letter to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA 2003; 285: 733).
I hope that the CDC does not continue to expect us to still believe that the 85% plus of all CJD cases which are sporadic are all spontaneous, without route or source. <<<
actually, that quote was from a more recent article in the Journal of Neurology (see below), not the JAMA article...
Diagnosis and Reporting of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Singeltary, Sr et al. JAMA.2001; 285: 733-734. Vol. 285 No. 6, February 14, 2001 JAMA Diagnosis and Reporting of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
To the Editor: In their Research Letter, Dr Gibbons and colleagues1 reported that the annual US death rate due to Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) has been stable since 1985. These estimates, however, are based only on reported cases, and do not include misdiagnosed or preclinical cases. It seems to me that misdiagnosis alone would drastically change these figures. An unknown number of persons with a diagnosis of Alzheimer disease in fact may have CJD, although only a small number of these patients receive the postmortem examination necessary to make this diagnosis. Furthermore, only a few states have made CJD reportable. Human and animal transmissible spongiform encephalopathies should be reportable nationwide and internationally. Terry S. Singeltary, Sr Bacliff, Tex 1. Gibbons RV, Holman RC, Belay ED, Schonberger LB. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in the United States: 1979-1998. JAMA. 2000;284:2322-2323.
FREE FULL TEXT
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/extract/285/6/733?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=singeltary&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&resourcetype=HWCIT
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/285/6/733?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=singeltary&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&resourcetype=HWCIT
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Susceptibilities of Nonhuman Primates to Chronic Wasting Disease
snip...
From: TSS (216-119-163-189.ipset45.wt.net)
Subject: CWD aka MAD DEER/ELK TO HUMANS ???
Date: September 30, 2002 at 7:06 am PST
From: "Belay, Ermias"
To:
Cc: "Race, Richard (NIH)" ; ; "Belay,
Ermias"
Sent: Monday, September 30, 2002 9:22 AM
Subject: RE: TO CDC AND NIH - PUB MED- 3 MORE DEATHS - CWD - YOUNG HUNTERS
Dear Sir/Madam,
In the Archives of Neurology you quoted (the abstract of which was attached to your email), we did not say CWD in humans will present like variant CJD.
That assumption would be wrong. I encourage you to read the whole article and call me if you have questions or need more clarification (phone: 404-639-3091). Also, we do not claim that "no-one has ever been infected with prion disease from eating venison." Our conclusion stating that we found no strong evidence of CWD transmission to humans in the article you quoted or in any other forum is limited to the patients we investigated.
Ermias Belay, M.D.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
-----Original Message-----
From:
Sent: Sunday, September 29, 2002 10:15 AM
To: rr26k@nih.gov; rrace@niaid.nih.gov; ebb8@CDC.GOV
Subject: TO CDC AND NIH - PUB MED- 3 MORE DEATHS - CWD - YOUNG
HUNTERS
Sunday, November 10, 2002 6:26 PM ......snip........end..............TSS
snip...
see full text ;
http://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2009/08/susceptibilities-of-nonhuman-primates.html
http://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/
2 January 2000
British Medical Journal
U.S. Scientist should be concerned with a CJD epidemic in the U.S., as well
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/eletters/320/7226/8/b#6117
15 November 1999
British Medical Journal
vCJD in the USA * BSE in U.S.
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/eletters/319/7220/1312/b#5406
THE PATHOLOGICAL PROTEIN
BY Philip Yam
Yam Philip Yam News Editor Scientific American http://www.sciam.com/
http://www.thepathologicalprotein.com/
SEE REVISITING SPORADIC CJD BY PHILIP YAM THE PATHOLOGICAL PROTEIN
Answering critics like Terry Singeltary, who feels that the U.S. undercounts CJD, Schonberger conceded that the current surveillance system has errors but stated that most of the errors will be confined to the older population. ...
http://books.google.com/books?id=ePbrQNFrHtoC&pg=PA224&lpg=PA224&dq=pathological+protein+philip+yam+singeltary&source=bl&ots=um-LytTT2E&sig=hQVJotGvhvffOsN2fsIDfk2SHXw&hl=en&ei=CaWBSrDLCIKUtgeg_eTVCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1#v=onepage&q=&f=false
2008
The statistical incidence of CJD cases in the United States has been revised to reflect that there is one case per 9000 in adults age 55 and older. Eighty-five percent of the cases are sporadic, meaning there is no known cause at present.
http://www.cjdfoundation.org/fact.html
Friday, November 30, 2007
CJD QUESTIONNAIRE USA CWRU AND CJD FOUNDATION
http://cjdquestionnaire.blogspot.com/
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Monitoring the occurrence of emerging forms of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in the United States 2003 revisited 2009
http://cjdusa.blogspot.com/2009/06/monitoring-occurrence-of-emerging-forms.html
Terry S. Singeltary Sr., P.O. Box 42, Bacliff, Texas USA 77518
wasted days and wasted nights...Freddy Fender
stupid is, as stupid does...Forest Gump
12/16/2009 9:41:00 AM
WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will serve a sampling of traditional school lunch menu items to members of Congress next week to illustrate improvements its has made in the nutritional quality and taste of the $1.2 billion in school commodity foods and as well as win support to boost funding to continue reworking menus, reported the Washington Post.
http://www.foodproductdesign.com/news/2009/12/congress-to-sample-school-lunches.aspx
USDA will offer lawmakers a sampling of school lunches Agency seeks boost in funding to continue reworking menus
By Jane Black Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, December 11, 2009
Chicken fajita strips, sliced ham and canned green beans: That's what's for lunch one day next week for some lawmakers and congressional staffers, courtesy of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The menu offers the same products, known as commodity foods, that the agency provides every day to public schools across the nation.
The goal of next week's tasting is to show lawmakers the improvements the department has made in the nutritional quality -- and taste -- of the $1.2 billion in school commodity foods and to win support to fund further improvements. With one-third of American children overweight or obese, the USDA has been working to cut salt and fat and provide more fruits and vegetables.
"These guys are moving in the right direction," said Tony Geraci, food service director for Baltimore City public schools and a pioneer for healthful foods in schools. "Is it fixed? Hell, no. But at least now we're having conversations about this. Before, it was straight-up stonewalling."
The tasting is also an attempt to rehabilitate the reputation of the commodity foods program, which provides 15 to 20 percent of the food served in U.S. school cafeterias. Officially called USDA Foods, the program has long been perceived as a conflict of interest in the department's mission: to support American farmers and ranchers while overseeing nutrition programs for low-income families and schoolchildren.
Is the program a way to distribute meats, cheeses and other commodities that couldn't find a buyer on the open market? Or is the department really making choices based on public health?
Improving the quality of food provided free to schools is important at a time when school budgets are being squeezed. President Obama has proposed an additional $1 billion for child nutrition programs, including school lunch, in his 2010 budget.
But in the face of a projected federal deficit of $1.3 trillion , even the strongest supporters of school-lunch reform say that Congress is unlikely to approve a substantial funding increase when it takes up the issue next year.
To prepare for the Capitol Hill debut next week, the USDA offered samples to Secretary Tom Vilsack, who tried more than a dozen products, including canned green beans, apple slices and hamburger patties.
On paper, anyway, the green beans looked good. They are formulated to meet USDA specifications and have 64 percent less sodium than commercially available canned beans. For the 2010 school year, the agency has mandated that canned vegetables have no more than 140 milligrams of sodium per serving, 71 percent fewer than in the Food and Drug Administration's "healthy" standard.
The hamburger patties, developed for a pilot program last year to help fight childhood obesity, were 95 percent lean. The most similar commercial beef patty available is 92 percent lean.
The USDA offers more than 180 fresh and processed foods to schools, up from 54 in 1981. The products are provided to schools free, based on the number of students eligible for government assistance. Schools buy the rest of their ingredients from commercial suppliers.
School food directors say the quality of available commodities is excellent -- if schools choose wisely. The USDA offers high-quality dried fruits, nuts, brown rice, legumes and unprocessed meat, among other things.
Last month, the USDA announced that as part of the bonus commodity program, which is part of the commodity foods program and allows the agency to buy surplus food to help support prices for farmers, it would make available $33 million worth of apples, tart cherries and dried plums to schools and other programs. Some of the cherries will be processed into cherry-apple juice, with no artificial colors, flavors or sweeteners, for schools.
At least one challenge remains: persuading schools to embrace the more healthful options. Many schools lack kitchens and are at most capable of reheating prepared items. And many school food service directors do not have nutrition or culinary training.
They also know that they can sell more trays of greasy pizza and french fries to students than fruits and vegetables, a tactic that helps keep tight budgets in line. As food service director Geraci said: "If you have 20,000 lunch ladies that just want to open up a box of chicken nuggets, they're going to keep making them."
To encourage more healthful choices, the USDA is awaiting help from Congress when it takes up the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act next year. As part of the legislation, lawmakers are considering a measure that would allow the department to set strict standards for all food sold in schools, including vending machine fare. They are also considering how much new money to allocate to the $12 billion annual program.
Vilsack said he hopes Congress will make more money available.
"The nutritional value of these foods is going to be a little bit more expensive," said Vilsack, who said that he expects costs will rise as more students are granted access to free or reduced-price meals. "We've been making progress on the food safety side and on the nutrition side. But to take the next steps, it's going to require more resources."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/10/AR2009121001956.html
>>>To prepare for the Capitol Hill debut next week, the USDA offered samples to Secretary Tom Vilsack, <<<
>>>who tried more than a dozen products, including canned green beans, apple slices and hamburger patties. <<<
Greetings,
Holy mad cow, this will be just like those token slaughter house inspections and such they do for Japan, Korea, and the other trading partners. Tell them way in advance, and then serve em up the best. Give me a break. I wonder if some of those Congressman/woman were served up some dead stock downer cows, the most high risk cattle for mad cow disease, and other dangerous pathogens, like our children were for 4+ years, via the NSLP ? This should have NEVER happened. No, we must not let them forget. They refuse to speak of it, and I can't forget. It must not happen again. Hopefully, all this is not just hot air coming out of Washington, and indeed Congress plans on cleaning house. I have seen this hot air before, time and time again, and in the end, nothing but hot air. Case in point, the mad cow feed ban of August 4, 1997, and the Surveillance for BSE and other TSE. Your only kidding yourself if you don't think these children were not exposed to high risk dead stock downers. it should never happen again. but they hid it under the guise, (the beef recall), the largest ever (at that time), they mask this beef recall as 'animal abuse'. I don't get it. How was this beef tainted by animal abuse? I don't condone animal abuse, but what about child abuse ? and who will watch our children for the next 5+ decades for CJD ? with our CJD human TSE surveillance system in the USA, even if they are detected (?), they will go down as sporadic, or some odd phenotype that is spontaneous or some odd TSE from nothing $
The PrP TSE mad cow agent in humans can incubate up to 50+ years in some cases, in other cases, not so long. so, come back in 50+ years and confirm this. junk science, industry friendly regulations, and or just not complying with existing regulations have been rampant over the past 12 years I have been paying attention, it has been the norm. maybe sound science will prevail in the end, maybe not. but feeding children diseased and sick cows via the NSLP was flat wrong, and anyone that thinks the largest beef recall there from, was just because a few animals were abused, well, they too are just flat wrong as well. ...
WHO WILL WATCH THE CHILDREN FOR CJD OVER THE NEXT 5 + DECADES ???
Do you actually believe that the USDA et al jumped in on the law suit against Westland/Hallmark, at the time the largest beef recall in USA history, just because a few animals were abused on a video, or to cover their ass, for letting our children, from school district to school district, from state to state, be fed dead stock downer cows.
>>> In the papers, the government alleges the meatpacking plant slaughtered and processed downer cows for nearly four years — from January 2004 to September 2007 — at the average rate of one every six weeks... <<<
http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2009/09/suit-meatpacker-used-downer-cows-for-4.html
Do you actually believe all these schools recalled this meat because of a few cattle being abused,
see list ;
FNS All Regions Affected School Food Authorities By State United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service National School Lunch Program March 24, 2008 School Food Authorities Affected by Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. Beef Recall February 2006 - February 2008
http://www.fns.usda.gov/fns/safety/Hallmark-Westland_byState.pdf
IF url does not work above, go to this link to find out if any of your children and their school were part of this recall ; go to this site ;
http://www.fns.usda.gov/fns/
left hand corner search ; Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co.
Beef Recall your should get this ; http://65.216.150.153/texis/search?pr=FNS
1 through 1 of 1 matching documents, best matches first. sort by date 1: Hallmark - Westland SFA Reporting by State - 3-24-2008.xls Lunch Program March 24, 2008 School Food Authorities Affected by Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. Beef Recall February 2006 - February 2008 The U.S. Department of Agriculture ...
http://www.fns.usda.gov/...ety/Hallmark-Westland_byState.pdf
PLEASE SEE ALSO ;
Members of The HSUS are also concerned about the meat products provided to their children through the National School Lunch Program. More than 31 million school children receive lunches through the program each school day. To assist states in providing healthful, low-cost or free meals, USDA provides states with various commodities including ground beef. As evidenced by the HallmarkNVestland investigation and recall, the potential for downed animals to make their way into the National School Lunch Program is neither speculative nor hypothetical.
http://biotech.law.lsu.edu/cases/FDA/hsus-v-schafer-usda-complaint.pdf
Over the next 8-10 weeks, approximately 40% of all the adult mink on the farm died from TME. snip... The rancher was a ''dead stock'' feeder using mostly (>95%) downer or dead dairy cattle...
http://web.archive.org/web/20030516051623/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/mb/m09/tab05.pdf
Friday, September 4, 2009
FOIA REQUEST ON FEED RECALL PRODUCT 429,128 lbs. feed for ruminant animals may have been contaminated with prohibited material Recall # V-258-2009
http://madcowfeed.blogspot.com/2009/09/foia-request-on-feed-recall-product.html
Saturday, August 29, 2009
FOIA REQUEST FEED RECALL 2009 Product may have contained prohibited materials Bulk Whole Barley, Recall # V-256-2009
http://madcowfeed.blogspot.com/2009/08/foia-request-feed-recall-2009-product.html
C O N F I R M E D
----- Original Message ----- From: "Terry S. Singeltary Sr."
http://madcowfeed.blogspot.com/2009/11/re-foia-request-on-feed-recall-product.html
PLEASE be aware, for 4 years, the USDA fed our children all across the Nation dead stock downer cows, the most high risk cattle for BSE aka mad cow disease and other dangerous pathogens. who will watch our children for CJD for the next 5+ decades ???
SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM FROM DOWNER CATTLE UPDATE
http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2009/05/who-will-watch-children.html
http://downercattle.blogspot.com/
please see full text here ;
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
SEAC EFFECT OF AGE ON THE PATHOGENESIS OF TRANSMISSIBLE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHIES SEAC 103/2
http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2009/11/seac-effect-of-age-on-pathogenesis-of.html
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
R-CALF: 40 Groups Disagree With USDA's Latest BSE Court Submission
http://bse-atypical.blogspot.com/2009/11/r-calf-40-groups-disagree-with-usdas.html
Monday, October 19, 2009
Atypical BSE, BSE, and other human and animal TSE in North America Update October 19, 2009
http://bse-atypical.blogspot.com/2009/10/atypical-bse-bse-and-other-human-and.html
Sunday, September 6, 2009
MAD COW USA 1997 SECRET VIDEO
http://madcowusda.blogspot.com/2009/09/mad-cow-usa-1997-video.html
U.S.A. HIDING MAD COW DISEASE VICTIMS AS SPORADIC CJD ? see video at bottom
http://creutzfeldt-jakob-disease.blogspot.com/2009/07/usa-hiding-mad-cow-disease-victims-as.html
DAMNING TESTIMONY FROM STANLEY PRUSINER THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE WINNER ON PRIONS SPEAKING ABOUT ANN VENEMAN see video
http://maddeer.org/video/embedded/prusinerclip.html
CVM Annual Report Fiscal Year 2008: October 1, 2007-September 30, 2008
PUTTING LIPSTICK ON A PIG AND TAKING HER TO A DANCE...TSS
BSE Feed Rule Enforcement: A Decade of Success OFF TO A FAST START
http://madcowfeed.blogspot.com/2008/06/texas-firm-recalls-cattle-heads-that.html
2009 UPDATE ON ALABAMA AND TEXAS MAD COWS 2005 and 2006
http://bse-atypical.blogspot.com/2006/08/bse-atypical-texas-and-alabama-update.html
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
IMPORTATION OF CANADIAN CATTLE, BISON, SHEEP, AND GOATS INTO THE UNITED STATES 12/1/09
http://usdameatexport.blogspot.com/2009/12/importation-of-canadian-cattle-bison.html
Monday, November 30, 2009
USDA AND OIE COLLABORATE TO EXCLUDE ATYPICAL SCRAPIE NOR-98 ANIMAL HEALTH CODE
http://nor-98.blogspot.com/2009/11/usda-and-oie-collaborate-to-exclude.html
Monday, November 23, 2009
BSE GBR RISK ASSESSMENTS UPDATE NOVEMBER 23, 2009 COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES AND O.I.E.
http://docket-aphis-2006-0041.blogspot.com/2009/11/bse-gbr-risk-assessments-update.html
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Intraspecies transmission of L-type-like bovine spongiform encephalopathy detected in Japan
http://bse-atypical.blogspot.com/2009/12/intraspecies-transmission-of-l-type.html
*** Monday, December 14, 2009 R.I.P. MOM ***
Similarities between Forms of Sheep Scrapie and Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Are Encoded by Distinct Prion Types
http://nor-98.blogspot.com/2009/12/similarities-between-forms-of-sheep.html
NAIS COOL BSE
http://naiscoolyes.blogspot.com/2009/12/nais-cool-from-farm-to-fork-mad-cow.html
Saturday, December 05, 2009
Molecular Model of Prion Transmission to Humans
http://creutzfeldt-jakob-disease.blogspot.com/2009/12/molecular-model-of-prion-transmission.html
Thursday, November 05, 2009
Incidence and spectrum of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease variants with mixed phenotype and co-occurrence of PrPSc types: an updated classification
http://creutzfeldt-jakob-disease.blogspot.com/2009/11/incidence-and-spectrum-of-sporadic.html
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Characteristics of Established and Proposed Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Variants
http://creutzfeldt-jakob-disease.blogspot.com/2009/08/characteristics-of-established-and.html
Sunday, August 09, 2009
CJD...Straight talk with...James Ironside...and...Terry Singeltary... 2009
http://creutzfeldt-jakob-disease.blogspot.com/2009/08/cjdstraight-talk-withjames.html
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Monitoring the occurrence of emerging forms of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in the United States 2003 revisited 2009
http://cjdusa.blogspot.com/2009/06/monitoring-occurrence-of-emerging-forms.html
JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
MARCH 26, 2003
Send Post-Publication Peer Review to journal:
Re: RE-Monitoring the occurrence of emerging forms of Creutzfeldt-Jakob
disease in the United States
Email Terry S. Singeltary:
flounder9@verizon.net
I lost my mother to hvCJD (Heidenhain Variant CJD). I would like to comment on the CDC's attempts to monitor the occurrence of emerging forms of CJD. Asante, Collinge et al [1] have reported that BSE transmission to the 129-methionine genotype can lead to an alternate phenotype that is indistinguishable from type 2 PrPSc, the commonest sporadic CJD. However, CJD and all human TSEs are not reportable nationally. CJD and all human TSEs must be made reportable in every state and internationally. I hope that the CDC does not continue to expect us to still believe that the 85%+ of all CJD cases which are sporadic are all spontaneous, without route/source. We have many TSEs in the USA in both animal and man. CWD in deer/elk is spreading rapidly and CWD does transmit to mink, ferret, cattle, and squirrel monkey by intracerebral inoculation. With the known incubation periods in other TSEs, oral transmission studies of CWD may take much longer. Every victim/family of CJD/TSEs should be asked about route and source of this agent. To prolong this will only spread the agent and needlessly expose others. In light of the findings of Asante and Collinge et al, there should be drastic measures to safeguard the medical and surgical arena from sporadic CJDs and all human TSEs. I only ponder how many sporadic CJDs in the USA are type 2 PrPSc?
http://www.neurology.org/cgi/eletters/60/2/176#535
LANCET INFECTIOUS DISEASE JOURNAL
Volume 3, Number 8 01 August 2003
Newsdesk
Tracking spongiform encephalopathies in North America
Xavier Bosch
My name is Terry S Singeltary Sr, and I live in Bacliff, Texas. I lost my mom to hvCJD (Heidenhain variant CJD) and have been searching for answers ever since. What I have found is that we have not been told the truth. CWD in deer and elk is a small portion of a much bigger problem.
49-year-old Singeltary is one of a number of people who have remained largely unsatisfied after being told that a close relative died from a rapidly progressive dementia compatible with spontaneous Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). So he decided to gather hundreds of documents on transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) and realised that if Britons could get variant CJD from bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), Americans might get a similar disorder from chronic wasting disease (CWD)the relative of mad cow disease seen among deer and elk in the USA. Although his feverish search did not lead him to the smoking gun linking CWD to a similar disease in North American people, it did uncover a largely disappointing situation.
Singeltary was greatly demoralised at the few attempts to monitor the occurrence of CJD and CWD in the USA. Only a few states have made CJD reportable. Human and animal TSEs should be reportable nationwide and internationally, he complained in a letter to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA 2003; 285: 733). I hope that the CDC does not continue to expect us to still believe that the 85% plus of all CJD cases which are sporadic are all spontaneous, without route or source.
Until recently, CWD was thought to be confined to the wild in a small region in Colorado. But since early 2002, it has been reported in other areas, including Wisconsin, South Dakota, and the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Indeed, the occurrence of CWD in states that were not endemic previously increased concern about a widespread outbreak and possible transmission to people and cattle.
To date, experimental studies have proven that the CWD agent can be transmitted to cattle by intracerebral inoculation and that it can cross the mucous membranes of the digestive tract to initiate infection in lymphoid tissue before invasion of the central nervous system. Yet the plausibility of CWD spreading to people has remained elusive.
Part of the problem seems to stem from the US surveillance system. CJD is only reported in those areas known to be endemic foci of CWD. Moreover, US authorities have been criticised for not having performed enough prionic tests in farm deer and elk.
Although in November last year the US Food and Drug Administration issued a directive to state public-health and agriculture officials prohibiting material from CWD-positive animals from being used as an ingredient in feed for any animal species, epidemiological control and research in the USA has been quite different from the situation in the
UK and Europe regarding BSE.
Getting data on TSEs in the USA from the government is like pulling teeth, Singeltary argues. You get it when they want you to have it and only what they want you to have.Norman Foster, director of the Cognitive Disorders Clinic at the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI, USA), says that current surveillance of prion disease in people in the USA is inadequate to detect whether CWD is occurring in human beings; adding that, the cases that we know about are reassuring, because they do not suggest the appearance of a new variant of CJD in the USA or atypical features in patients that might be exposed to CWD. However, until we establish a system that identifies and analyses a high proportion of suspected prion disease cases we will not know for sure. The USA should develop a system modelled on that established in the UK, he points out.
Ali Samii, a neurologist at Seattle VA Medical Center who recently reported the cases of three hunterstwo of whom were friendswho died from pathologically confirmed CJD, says that at present there are insufficient data to claim transmission of CWD into humans; adding that [only] by asking [the questions of venison consumption and deer/elk hunting] in every case can we collect suspect cases and look into the plausibility of transmission further. Samii argues that by making both doctors and hunters more aware of the possibility of prions spreading through eating venison, doctors treating hunters with dementia can consider a possible prion disease, and doctors treating CJD patients will know to ask whether they ate venison. CDC spokesman Ermias Belay says that the CDC will not be investigating the [Samii] cases because there is no evidence that the men ate CWD-infected meat. He notes that although the likelihood of CWD jumping the species barrier to infect humans cannot be ruled out 100% and that [we] cannot be 100% sure that CWD does not exist in humans & the data seeking evidence of CWD transmission to humans have been very limited.
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473309903007151/%20fulltext
>>>he complained in a letter to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA 2003; 285: 733).
I hope that the CDC does not continue to expect us to still believe that the 85% plus of all CJD cases which are sporadic are all spontaneous, without route or source. <<<
actually, that quote was from a more recent article in the Journal of Neurology (see below), not the JAMA article...
Diagnosis and Reporting of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Singeltary, Sr et al. JAMA.2001; 285: 733-734. Vol. 285 No. 6, February 14, 2001 JAMA Diagnosis and Reporting of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
To the Editor: In their Research Letter, Dr Gibbons and colleagues1 reported that the annual US death rate due to Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) has been stable since 1985. These estimates, however, are based only on reported cases, and do not include misdiagnosed or preclinical cases. It seems to me that misdiagnosis alone would drastically change these figures. An unknown number of persons with a diagnosis of Alzheimer disease in fact may have CJD, although only a small number of these patients receive the postmortem examination necessary to make this diagnosis. Furthermore, only a few states have made CJD reportable. Human and animal transmissible spongiform encephalopathies should be reportable nationwide and internationally. Terry S. Singeltary, Sr Bacliff, Tex 1. Gibbons RV, Holman RC, Belay ED, Schonberger LB. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in the United States: 1979-1998. JAMA. 2000;284:2322-2323.
FREE FULL TEXT
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/extract/285/6/733?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=singeltary&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&resourcetype=HWCIT
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/285/6/733?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=singeltary&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&resourcetype=HWCIT
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Susceptibilities of Nonhuman Primates to Chronic Wasting Disease
snip...
From: TSS (216-119-163-189.ipset45.wt.net)
Subject: CWD aka MAD DEER/ELK TO HUMANS ???
Date: September 30, 2002 at 7:06 am PST
From: "Belay, Ermias"
To:
Cc: "Race, Richard (NIH)" ; ; "Belay,
Ermias"
Sent: Monday, September 30, 2002 9:22 AM
Subject: RE: TO CDC AND NIH - PUB MED- 3 MORE DEATHS - CWD - YOUNG HUNTERS
Dear Sir/Madam,
In the Archives of Neurology you quoted (the abstract of which was attached to your email), we did not say CWD in humans will present like variant CJD.
That assumption would be wrong. I encourage you to read the whole article and call me if you have questions or need more clarification (phone: 404-639-3091). Also, we do not claim that "no-one has ever been infected with prion disease from eating venison." Our conclusion stating that we found no strong evidence of CWD transmission to humans in the article you quoted or in any other forum is limited to the patients we investigated.
Ermias Belay, M.D.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
-----Original Message-----
From:
Sent: Sunday, September 29, 2002 10:15 AM
To: rr26k@nih.gov; rrace@niaid.nih.gov; ebb8@CDC.GOV
Subject: TO CDC AND NIH - PUB MED- 3 MORE DEATHS - CWD - YOUNG
HUNTERS
Sunday, November 10, 2002 6:26 PM ......snip........end..............TSS
snip...
see full text ;
http://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2009/08/susceptibilities-of-nonhuman-primates.html
http://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/
2 January 2000
British Medical Journal
U.S. Scientist should be concerned with a CJD epidemic in the U.S., as well
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/eletters/320/7226/8/b#6117
15 November 1999
British Medical Journal
vCJD in the USA * BSE in U.S.
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/eletters/319/7220/1312/b#5406
THE PATHOLOGICAL PROTEIN
BY Philip Yam
Yam Philip Yam News Editor Scientific American http://www.sciam.com/
http://www.thepathologicalprotein.com/
SEE REVISITING SPORADIC CJD BY PHILIP YAM THE PATHOLOGICAL PROTEIN
Answering critics like Terry Singeltary, who feels that the U.S. undercounts CJD, Schonberger conceded that the current surveillance system has errors but stated that most of the errors will be confined to the older population. ...
http://books.google.com/books?id=ePbrQNFrHtoC&pg=PA224&lpg=PA224&dq=pathological+protein+philip+yam+singeltary&source=bl&ots=um-LytTT2E&sig=hQVJotGvhvffOsN2fsIDfk2SHXw&hl=en&ei=CaWBSrDLCIKUtgeg_eTVCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1#v=onepage&q=&f=false
2008
The statistical incidence of CJD cases in the United States has been revised to reflect that there is one case per 9000 in adults age 55 and older. Eighty-five percent of the cases are sporadic, meaning there is no known cause at present.
http://www.cjdfoundation.org/fact.html
Friday, November 30, 2007
CJD QUESTIONNAIRE USA CWRU AND CJD FOUNDATION
http://cjdquestionnaire.blogspot.com/
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Monitoring the occurrence of emerging forms of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in the United States 2003 revisited 2009
http://cjdusa.blogspot.com/2009/06/monitoring-occurrence-of-emerging-forms.html
Terry S. Singeltary Sr., P.O. Box 42, Bacliff, Texas USA 77518
wasted days and wasted nights...Freddy Fender
stupid is, as stupid does...Forest Gump
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
SEAC EFFECT OF AGE ON THE PATHOGENESIS OF TRANSMISSIBLE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHIES
SEAC 103/2
EFFECT OF AGE ON THE PATHOGENESIS OF TRANSMISSIBLE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHIES
ISSUE
1. Most clinical cases of variant CJD (vCJD) have occurred in young adults. The reasons behind this apparent age-related susceptibility are uncertain. A recent paper by Brown et al in the Journal of Immunology, (attached at annex A), reports the findings of a study in mice, which suggest that age related decline in the functioning of follicular dendritic cells might impair TSE pathogenesis.
STUDY DESIGN
2. The study used C57BL/Dk mice challenged with ME7 scrapie brain homongenate. The mice were assessed weekly for signs of clinical disease and culled at a standard clinical endpoint. Survival times were recorded for mice that did not develop clinical signs of disease and were culled when they showed signs of intercurrent disease.
FINDINGS
3. This study finds that early TSE agent accumulation in the spleens of aged mice was significantly impaired compared to that in young adults. Furthermore, following peripheral exposure, none of the aged mice developed clinical TSE disease during their lifespans, although most mice displayed histopathological signs of TSE disease in their brains.
4. Comparison of follicular dendritic cell networks (FDCs) in the spleens of aged and young adult mice, showed a highly significant reduction in the total number of PrPC expressing FDCs in aged mice when compared with those of young adults. 5. The data imply that the reduced status of FDCs in aged mice significantly impairs the early TSE agent accumulation in
© SEAC 2009
lymphoid tissues and subsequent neuroinvasion. Furthermore, the inefficient neuroinvasion in aged individuals may lead to significant levels of subclinical TSE disease in the population.
BACKGROUND
6. Following peripheral exposure, many TSE agents accumulate first in lymphoid tissues before spreading to the Central Nervous System, where they cause neurodegeneration. Early TSE agent accumulation upon FDCs in lymphoid follicles appears to be critical for efficient neuroinvasion.1
7. Most clinical cases of vCJD have occurred in young adults; the median age at onset of disease was 26 years and the median age at death 28 years (the corresponding ages for sporadic CJD are 67 and 67). The youngest case of vCJD was aged 12 years at onset, while the oldest case of vCJD was aged 74 years.2
ADVICE SOUGHT
8. The committee is invited to note the findings of this study.
SEAC SECRETARIAT
NOVEMBER 2009
1 Klein, M. A., R. Frigg, A. J. Raeber, E. Flechsig, I. Hegyi, R. M. Zinkernagel, C. Weissmann, and A. Aguzzi. 1998. PrP expression in B lymphocytes is not required for prion neuroinvasion. Nat. Med. 4: 1429–1433; Brown, K. L., K. Stewart, D. Ritchie, N. A. Mabbott, A. Williams, H. Fraser, W. I. Morrison, and M. E. Bruce. 1999. Scrapie replication in lymphoid tissuesdepends on PrP-expressing follicular dendritic cells. Nat. Med. 5: 1308–1312. 2 National CJD Surveillance Unit, Seventeenth Annual Report, 2008, p.13. ©
http://www.seac.gov.uk/papers/103-2.pdf
WHO WILL WATCH THE CHILDREN for CJD over the next 5 decades ?
FOR 4 years, the USDA fed dead stock downer cows, the most high risk cattle for mad cow disease and other dangerous pathogens to children all across the USA via the USDA certified dead stock downer cow school lunch program...
SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM FROM DOWNER CATTLE UPDATE
http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2009/05/who-will-watch-children.html
http://downercattle.blogspot.com/
FNS All Regions Affected School Food Authorities By State United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service National School Lunch Program March 24, 2008 School Food Authorities Affected by Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. Beef Recall February 2006 – February 2008
http://www.fns.usda.gov/fns/safety/Hallmark-Westland_byState.pdf
or try ;
http://www.fns.usda.gov/fns/safety/Hallmark-Westland_byState.pdf#xml=http://65.216.150.153/texis/search/pdfhi.txt?query=FNS+All+Regions+Affected+School+Food+Authorities+By+State+United+States+Department+of+Agriculture+Food+and+Nutrition+Service+National+School+Lunch+Program+&pr=FNS&prox=page&rorder=500&rprox=500&rdfreq=500&rwfreq=500&rlead=500&rdepth=0&sufs=0&order=r&cq=&id=4ace90e711
or,
go to this site ;
http://www.fns.usda.gov/fns/
left hand corner search ;
Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. Beef Recall
your should get this ;
http://65.216.150.153/texis/search?pr=FNS
1 through 1 of 1 matching documents, best matches first. sort by date 1: Hallmark - Westland SFA Reporting by State - 3-24-2008.xls Lunch Program March 24, 2008 School Food Authorities Affected by Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. Beef Recall February 2006 - February 2008 The U.S. Department of Agriculture ... http://www.fns.usda.gov/...ety/Hallmark-Westland_byState.pdf
Approximately 50.3 million pounds of the beef recalled by HallmarkNVestland went to federal nutrition programs, including the National School Lunch Program, and of those 50.3 million pounds, about 19.6 million pounds had already been consumed at the time the recall was issued. Release No. 0054.08, USDA, Transcript of Technical Briefing - HallmarldWestland Meat Packing Company (Feb. 21, 2008).
9. HSUS members that consume meat products, including beef products, are concerned about eating adulterated meat products and the health risks associated with such adulterated meat. Specifically, they are concerned that downed cattle are at an increased risk for harboring and transmitting BSE prions and other pathogens. The consumption of meat products derived from BSE-infected cattle is believed to cause a human neurological disease known as variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease ("vCJD"). The disease is progressive, invariably fatal, and there is no known effective treatment or cure. Downed cattle may also be at higher risk for harboring other foodborne transmissible pathogens, including E. coli 0157:H7, Salmonella, and anthrax. By allowing downed cattle to enter the food supply, USDA's regulatory loophole injures members of The HSUS by placing them at an increased risk of contracting these food-borne illnesses each time they eat beef. 10. Members of The HSUS are also concerned about the meat products provided to their children through the National School Lunch Program. More than 31 million school children receive lunches through the program each school day. To assist states in providing healthful, low-cost or free meals, USDA provides states with various commodities including ground beef. As evidenced by the HallmarkNVestland investigation and recall, the potential for downed animals to make their way into the National School Lunch Program is neither speculative nor hypothetical.
http://biotech.law.lsu.edu/cases/FDA/hsus-v-schafer-usda-complaint.pdf
United States of America Ex rel. The Humane Society of the United States v. Hallmark Meat Packing Company, Westland Meat Company Inc. (Downed animal abuse/government fraud)
Court or Agency: United States District Court for the Central District of California Plaintiff(s): United States of America Ex rel. The Humane Society of the United States Defendant: Hallmark Meat Packing Company, Westland Meat Company Inc. HSUS Counsel: Peter J. Petersan, Leana Stormont Outside Counsel: Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP Status: In Briefing
Federal court action under the False Claims Act alleging that Westland/Hallmark defrauded the federal government by violating the terms of its school lunch program contracts requiring the humane handling of animals. The lawsuit was the result of an investigation by The HSUS which exposed the facility's mistreatment of animals too sick or injured to walk and led to the largest meat recall in the nation’s history.
http://www.hsus.org/in_the_courts/docket/us_hallmark.html
http://www.law.gmu.edu/assets/files/academics/schedule/2009/fall/HENRYGREEN_AnimalLaw20090818.pdf
http://www.hsus.org/farm/news/ournews/dept_of_justice_hallmark_050409.html
FOIA
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/PDF/FOIA_Requests_0308.pdf
"California Firm Recalls Beef Products". USDA. February 17, 2008.
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/PDF/Recall_005-2008_Release.pdf
AP (February 17, 2008). "USDA recalls 143 million pounds of beef". MSNBC.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23212514/
"Statement by Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer Regarding Animal Cruelty Charges Filed Against Employees at Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company". USDA. February 15, 2008.
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?contentidonly=true&contentid=2008/02/0044.xml
"USDA Q&A". USDA. February 19, 2008.
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usdahome?contentidonly=true&contentid=Recall_Information.xml
The Case is captioned as United States of America ex rel. The Humane Society of the United States v. Hallmark Meat Packing Company; Westland Meat Company, Inc.
http://www.hsus.org/farm/news/ournews/dept_of_justice_hallmark_050409.html
http://www.econ.iastate.edu/classes/econ362/hallam/NewspaperArticles/DownerCows.pdf
Thursday, September 24, 2009
(09-24) 15:00 PDT LOS ANGELES (AP) --
A Southern California meatpacking plant that supplied beef to the nation's school lunch program slaughtered stumbling, potentially contaminated cows for four years before undercover video of animal abuse prompted a massive beef recall, federal court filings say...
http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2009/09/suit-meatpacker-used-downer-cows-for-4.html
also ;
http://www.usda.gov/oig/webdocs/24601-07-KC.pdf
>>>USDA officials cited three other interlocking safeguards that protect the public even if other safeguards, such as ante-mortem inspection, should fail; these safeguards are the removal of Specified Risk Materials (SRM),5 BSE surveillance testing, and the feed ban.6 Under the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA),7<<< href="http://madcowfeed.blogspot.com/2009/11/bse-feed-recall-misbranding-of-product.html">http://madcowfeed.blogspot.com/2009/11/bse-feed-recall-misbranding-of-product.html
Friday, September 4, 2009
FOIA REQUEST ON FEED RECALL PRODUCT 429,128 lbs. feed for ruminant animals may have been contaminated with prohibited material Recall # V-258-2009
http://madcowfeed.blogspot.com/2009/09/foia-request-on-feed-recall-product.html
Saturday, August 29, 2009
FOIA REQUEST FEED RECALL 2009 Product may have contained prohibited materials Bulk Whole Barley, Recall # V-256-2009
http://madcowfeed.blogspot.com/2009/08/foia-request-feed-recall-2009-product.html
2009 UPDATE ON ALABAMA AND TEXAS MAD COWS 2005 and 2006
http://bse-atypical.blogspot.com/2006/08/bse-atypical-texas-and-alabama-update.html
"Everything they did on the Texas cow makes everything USDA did before 2005 suspect," Brown said. ...snip...end
http://www.upi.com/ConsumerHealthDaily/view.php?StoryID=20060315-055557-1284r
PAUL BROWN COMMENT TO ME ON THIS ISSUE
Tuesday, September 12, 2006 11:10 AM
"Actually, Terry, I have been critical of the USDA handling of the mad cow issue for some years, and with Linda Detwiler and others sent lengthy detailed critiques and recommendations to both the USDA and the Canadian Food Agency."
http://madcowtesting.blogspot.com/
see full text sporadic CJD the big lie;
http://lists.ifas.ufl.edu/cgi-bin/wa.exe?A2=ind0705&L=sanet-mg&T=0&F=&S=&P=135027
PLUS
http://cjdmadcowbaseoct2007.blogspot.com/2008/07/novel-human-disease-with-abnormal-prion.html
Sunday, August 10, 2008
A New Prionopathy OR more of the same old BSe and sporadic CJD
http://creutzfeldt-jakob-disease.blogspot.com/2008/08/new-prionopathy-or-more-of-same-old-bse.html
HUMAN and ANIMAL TSE Classifications i.e. mad cow disease and the UKBSEnvCJD only theory
http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/contentStreamer?objectId=090000648027c28e&disposition=attachment&contentType=pdf
AS I SAID BEFORE, WHO WATCH THE CHILDREN FOR CJD FOR THE NEXT 5 DECADES ???
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Cell Study Explains Why Younger People More At Risk Of Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD)
http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2009/10/cell-study-explains-why-younger-people.html
TSS
EFFECT OF AGE ON THE PATHOGENESIS OF TRANSMISSIBLE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHIES
ISSUE
1. Most clinical cases of variant CJD (vCJD) have occurred in young adults. The reasons behind this apparent age-related susceptibility are uncertain. A recent paper by Brown et al in the Journal of Immunology, (attached at annex A), reports the findings of a study in mice, which suggest that age related decline in the functioning of follicular dendritic cells might impair TSE pathogenesis.
STUDY DESIGN
2. The study used C57BL/Dk mice challenged with ME7 scrapie brain homongenate. The mice were assessed weekly for signs of clinical disease and culled at a standard clinical endpoint. Survival times were recorded for mice that did not develop clinical signs of disease and were culled when they showed signs of intercurrent disease.
FINDINGS
3. This study finds that early TSE agent accumulation in the spleens of aged mice was significantly impaired compared to that in young adults. Furthermore, following peripheral exposure, none of the aged mice developed clinical TSE disease during their lifespans, although most mice displayed histopathological signs of TSE disease in their brains.
4. Comparison of follicular dendritic cell networks (FDCs) in the spleens of aged and young adult mice, showed a highly significant reduction in the total number of PrPC expressing FDCs in aged mice when compared with those of young adults. 5. The data imply that the reduced status of FDCs in aged mice significantly impairs the early TSE agent accumulation in
© SEAC 2009
lymphoid tissues and subsequent neuroinvasion. Furthermore, the inefficient neuroinvasion in aged individuals may lead to significant levels of subclinical TSE disease in the population.
BACKGROUND
6. Following peripheral exposure, many TSE agents accumulate first in lymphoid tissues before spreading to the Central Nervous System, where they cause neurodegeneration. Early TSE agent accumulation upon FDCs in lymphoid follicles appears to be critical for efficient neuroinvasion.1
7. Most clinical cases of vCJD have occurred in young adults; the median age at onset of disease was 26 years and the median age at death 28 years (the corresponding ages for sporadic CJD are 67 and 67). The youngest case of vCJD was aged 12 years at onset, while the oldest case of vCJD was aged 74 years.2
ADVICE SOUGHT
8. The committee is invited to note the findings of this study.
SEAC SECRETARIAT
NOVEMBER 2009
1 Klein, M. A., R. Frigg, A. J. Raeber, E. Flechsig, I. Hegyi, R. M. Zinkernagel, C. Weissmann, and A. Aguzzi. 1998. PrP expression in B lymphocytes is not required for prion neuroinvasion. Nat. Med. 4: 1429–1433; Brown, K. L., K. Stewart, D. Ritchie, N. A. Mabbott, A. Williams, H. Fraser, W. I. Morrison, and M. E. Bruce. 1999. Scrapie replication in lymphoid tissuesdepends on PrP-expressing follicular dendritic cells. Nat. Med. 5: 1308–1312. 2 National CJD Surveillance Unit, Seventeenth Annual Report, 2008, p.13. ©
http://www.seac.gov.uk/papers/103-2.pdf
WHO WILL WATCH THE CHILDREN for CJD over the next 5 decades ?
FOR 4 years, the USDA fed dead stock downer cows, the most high risk cattle for mad cow disease and other dangerous pathogens to children all across the USA via the USDA certified dead stock downer cow school lunch program...
SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM FROM DOWNER CATTLE UPDATE
http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2009/05/who-will-watch-children.html
http://downercattle.blogspot.com/
FNS All Regions Affected School Food Authorities By State United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service National School Lunch Program March 24, 2008 School Food Authorities Affected by Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. Beef Recall February 2006 – February 2008
http://www.fns.usda.gov/fns/safety/Hallmark-Westland_byState.pdf
or try ;
http://www.fns.usda.gov/fns/safety/Hallmark-Westland_byState.pdf#xml=http://65.216.150.153/texis/search/pdfhi.txt?query=FNS+All+Regions+Affected+School+Food+Authorities+By+State+United+States+Department+of+Agriculture+Food+and+Nutrition+Service+National+School+Lunch+Program+&pr=FNS&prox=page&rorder=500&rprox=500&rdfreq=500&rwfreq=500&rlead=500&rdepth=0&sufs=0&order=r&cq=&id=4ace90e711
or,
go to this site ;
http://www.fns.usda.gov/fns/
left hand corner search ;
Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. Beef Recall
your should get this ;
http://65.216.150.153/texis/search?pr=FNS
1 through 1 of 1 matching documents, best matches first. sort by date 1: Hallmark - Westland SFA Reporting by State - 3-24-2008.xls Lunch Program March 24, 2008 School Food Authorities Affected by Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. Beef Recall February 2006 - February 2008 The U.S. Department of Agriculture ... http://www.fns.usda.gov/...ety/Hallmark-Westland_byState.pdf
Approximately 50.3 million pounds of the beef recalled by HallmarkNVestland went to federal nutrition programs, including the National School Lunch Program, and of those 50.3 million pounds, about 19.6 million pounds had already been consumed at the time the recall was issued. Release No. 0054.08, USDA, Transcript of Technical Briefing - HallmarldWestland Meat Packing Company (Feb. 21, 2008).
9. HSUS members that consume meat products, including beef products, are concerned about eating adulterated meat products and the health risks associated with such adulterated meat. Specifically, they are concerned that downed cattle are at an increased risk for harboring and transmitting BSE prions and other pathogens. The consumption of meat products derived from BSE-infected cattle is believed to cause a human neurological disease known as variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease ("vCJD"). The disease is progressive, invariably fatal, and there is no known effective treatment or cure. Downed cattle may also be at higher risk for harboring other foodborne transmissible pathogens, including E. coli 0157:H7, Salmonella, and anthrax. By allowing downed cattle to enter the food supply, USDA's regulatory loophole injures members of The HSUS by placing them at an increased risk of contracting these food-borne illnesses each time they eat beef. 10. Members of The HSUS are also concerned about the meat products provided to their children through the National School Lunch Program. More than 31 million school children receive lunches through the program each school day. To assist states in providing healthful, low-cost or free meals, USDA provides states with various commodities including ground beef. As evidenced by the HallmarkNVestland investigation and recall, the potential for downed animals to make their way into the National School Lunch Program is neither speculative nor hypothetical.
http://biotech.law.lsu.edu/cases/FDA/hsus-v-schafer-usda-complaint.pdf
United States of America Ex rel. The Humane Society of the United States v. Hallmark Meat Packing Company, Westland Meat Company Inc. (Downed animal abuse/government fraud)
Court or Agency: United States District Court for the Central District of California Plaintiff(s): United States of America Ex rel. The Humane Society of the United States Defendant: Hallmark Meat Packing Company, Westland Meat Company Inc. HSUS Counsel: Peter J. Petersan, Leana Stormont Outside Counsel: Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP Status: In Briefing
Federal court action under the False Claims Act alleging that Westland/Hallmark defrauded the federal government by violating the terms of its school lunch program contracts requiring the humane handling of animals. The lawsuit was the result of an investigation by The HSUS which exposed the facility's mistreatment of animals too sick or injured to walk and led to the largest meat recall in the nation’s history.
http://www.hsus.org/in_the_courts/docket/us_hallmark.html
http://www.law.gmu.edu/assets/files/academics/schedule/2009/fall/HENRYGREEN_AnimalLaw20090818.pdf
http://www.hsus.org/farm/news/ournews/dept_of_justice_hallmark_050409.html
FOIA
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/PDF/FOIA_Requests_0308.pdf
"California Firm Recalls Beef Products". USDA. February 17, 2008.
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/PDF/Recall_005-2008_Release.pdf
AP (February 17, 2008). "USDA recalls 143 million pounds of beef". MSNBC.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23212514/
"Statement by Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer Regarding Animal Cruelty Charges Filed Against Employees at Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company". USDA. February 15, 2008.
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?contentidonly=true&contentid=2008/02/0044.xml
"USDA Q&A". USDA. February 19, 2008.
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usdahome?contentidonly=true&contentid=Recall_Information.xml
The Case is captioned as United States of America ex rel. The Humane Society of the United States v. Hallmark Meat Packing Company; Westland Meat Company, Inc.
http://www.hsus.org/farm/news/ournews/dept_of_justice_hallmark_050409.html
http://www.econ.iastate.edu/classes/econ362/hallam/NewspaperArticles/DownerCows.pdf
Thursday, September 24, 2009
(09-24) 15:00 PDT LOS ANGELES (AP) --
A Southern California meatpacking plant that supplied beef to the nation's school lunch program slaughtered stumbling, potentially contaminated cows for four years before undercover video of animal abuse prompted a massive beef recall, federal court filings say...
http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2009/09/suit-meatpacker-used-downer-cows-for-4.html
also ;
http://www.usda.gov/oig/webdocs/24601-07-KC.pdf
>>>USDA officials cited three other interlocking safeguards that protect the public even if other safeguards, such as ante-mortem inspection, should fail; these safeguards are the removal of Specified Risk Materials (SRM),5 BSE surveillance testing, and the feed ban.6 Under the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA),7<<< href="http://madcowfeed.blogspot.com/2009/11/bse-feed-recall-misbranding-of-product.html">http://madcowfeed.blogspot.com/2009/11/bse-feed-recall-misbranding-of-product.html
Friday, September 4, 2009
FOIA REQUEST ON FEED RECALL PRODUCT 429,128 lbs. feed for ruminant animals may have been contaminated with prohibited material Recall # V-258-2009
http://madcowfeed.blogspot.com/2009/09/foia-request-on-feed-recall-product.html
Saturday, August 29, 2009
FOIA REQUEST FEED RECALL 2009 Product may have contained prohibited materials Bulk Whole Barley, Recall # V-256-2009
http://madcowfeed.blogspot.com/2009/08/foia-request-feed-recall-2009-product.html
2009 UPDATE ON ALABAMA AND TEXAS MAD COWS 2005 and 2006
http://bse-atypical.blogspot.com/2006/08/bse-atypical-texas-and-alabama-update.html
"Everything they did on the Texas cow makes everything USDA did before 2005 suspect," Brown said. ...snip...end
http://www.upi.com/ConsumerHealthDaily/view.php?StoryID=20060315-055557-1284r
PAUL BROWN COMMENT TO ME ON THIS ISSUE
Tuesday, September 12, 2006 11:10 AM
"Actually, Terry, I have been critical of the USDA handling of the mad cow issue for some years, and with Linda Detwiler and others sent lengthy detailed critiques and recommendations to both the USDA and the Canadian Food Agency."
http://madcowtesting.blogspot.com/
see full text sporadic CJD the big lie;
http://lists.ifas.ufl.edu/cgi-bin/wa.exe?A2=ind0705&L=sanet-mg&T=0&F=&S=&P=135027
PLUS
http://cjdmadcowbaseoct2007.blogspot.com/2008/07/novel-human-disease-with-abnormal-prion.html
Sunday, August 10, 2008
A New Prionopathy OR more of the same old BSe and sporadic CJD
http://creutzfeldt-jakob-disease.blogspot.com/2008/08/new-prionopathy-or-more-of-same-old-bse.html
HUMAN and ANIMAL TSE Classifications i.e. mad cow disease and the UKBSEnvCJD only theory
http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/contentStreamer?objectId=090000648027c28e&disposition=attachment&contentType=pdf
AS I SAID BEFORE, WHO WATCH THE CHILDREN FOR CJD FOR THE NEXT 5 DECADES ???
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Cell Study Explains Why Younger People More At Risk Of Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD)
http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2009/10/cell-study-explains-why-younger-people.html
TSS
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