Mad Cow Disease

• What is "Mad Cow Disease" (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy/BSE)?
• What causes BSE?
• Was a second case of BSE identified in the U.S. in June 2005?
• Did meat and meat products from the June 2005 cow enter the food supply?
• Was a case of BSE identified in the U.S. in December 2003?
• Did meat and meat products from the 2003 BSE cow enter the food supply?
• Will there be additional cases?
• Does BSE affect people?
• What measures are being taken to ensure food safety in the U.S. from BSE?
• Are the protective measures in place sufficient to ensure the safety of the human food supply in light of the June 2005 BSE positive cow?
• Is the food in the U.S. likely to be a BSE risk to consumers?
• Is cow's milk a source of BSE?
• Can milk be infected with BSE from a BSE-positive cow?
• Does the use of bovine-derived ingredients in dietary supplements mean that they are not safe?
• Since the BSE-positive cows were discovered in the U.S., does that mean that dietary supplements made with domestic ingredients might be unsafe?
• What steps is FDA currently taking to ensure the safety of dietary supplements that contain bovine ingredients?
• Given the BSE case in Washington State and the case in Texas, should consumers be concerned about cosmetics made using tallow from the rendering process?
• What about the use of gelatin, another bovine-related material, in cosmetics and dietary supplements and other foods?
• When and how did BSE in cattle occur?
• Is BSE in cattle the same disease as CWD in deer and elk in the U.S.?
• What countries have reported cases of BSE or are considered to have a substantial risk associated with BSE?

What is "Mad Cow Disease" (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy/BSE)?

Mad Cow Disease is the commonly used name for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), a slowly progressive, degenerative, fatal disease affecting the central nervous system of adult cattle. Since 1990, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has conducted aggressive surveillance of the highest risk cattle going to slaughter in the United States.

What causes BSE?

The exact cause of BSE is not known but it is generally accepted by the scientific community that the likely cause is infectious forms of a type of protein, prions, normally found in animals cause BSE. In cattle with BSE, these abnormal prions initially occur in the small intestines and tonsils, and are found in central nervous tissues, such as the brain and spinal cord, and other tissues of infected animals experiencing later stages of the disease.

Was a second case of BSE identified in the U.S. in June 2005?

Yes, the USDA surveillance program identified the second BSE case in the U.S. This cow was originally identified in November 2004. Results from this animal were inconclusive in screening tests, but negative in confirmatory immunohistochemical tests. USDA recently conducted an additional confirmatory test, Western Blot, and the results were positive for BSE. USDA sent the samples to the Weybridge, UK lab where BSE was confirmed. An epidemiological investigation to trace the origins of the cow is underway. USDA confirms that the cow was born before the U.S. instituted its ban on the use of most mammalian protein in feed for ruminant animals-believed to be the most critical protective measure in preventing the spread of BSE among cattle.

Did meat and meat products from the June 2005 cow enter the food supply?

No, the cow was presented at slaughter as non-ambulatory (a downer). Therefore, in accordance with BSE regulations established by USDA and FDA the material from the animal did not enter the human food supply.

Was a case of BSE identified in the U.S. in December 2003?

Yes, the USDA surveillance program identified the first BSE case in the U.S. in a dairy cow in Washington State. The cow was bought from a farm in Canada.

Did meat and meat products from the 2003 BSE cow enter the food supply?

As soon as the BSE case was identified, both USDA and FDA activated their BSE Emergency Response Plans, and USDA immediately recalled the meat. Meat that did enter the food supply was quickly traced and was removed from the marketplace. Moreover, all the organs in which infectious prions occur were removed at slaughter and did not enter the food supply. Consumers should feel very confident that the system of multiple firewalls maintained by Federal agencies protects them from possible exposure to BSE. In addition, we believe it is important for consumers to also understand that scientific research indicates that muscle meat is not a source of infectious prions.

Next: Will there be additional cases? »

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Last Editorial Review: 2/18/2008