Late Friday, the US Department of Agriculture announced that they were unsure about one sample that had been re-tested for BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) among three that initially had inconclusive results. The sample will be sent to England for further testing.
Little is being revealed by the USDA regarding the cow in question, other than it is an older animal, a downer, and a beef breed. The cow was tagged under the enhanced surveillance program which was established a year ago. Since the implementation of the program, 375,360 cows have been tested with three inconclusive results.
After the unclear results, the samples were sent for confirmatory testing using immunohistochemistry (IHC) testing, where one returned a weak positive for BSE.
Even though only one turned up that way, USDA’s Office of Inspector General is recommending a second test for all three samples, because of the nature of the internationally recognized Western blot test, or SAF immunoblot test.
“In order to find the abnormal protein present you had to use more material and concentrate it,” said John Clifford, Chief Veterinary Officer for the Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), “As a result of that and the unusualness of this case it’s going to require additional testing before we can confirm one way or another whether this is truly BSE or not.”
Clifford stated in the release that it was likely that more BSE cases would be found. But Mike Johanns is confident about the USDA’s enhance surveillance program, saying the efforts to prevent mad cow diseased beef from entering into the food supply have been effective.
President of the American Meat Institute, James H. Hodges, seems to concur.
“Even if the case confirms positive, it is important to remember that our firewalls have worked,” he said. “This animal did not enter the food or feed supply.”