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Creating Prion-Free Cows

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the un-mad-cows dept.

Science Daily is reporting that the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is reporting positive results from a recent study designed to create genetically engineered prion-free cattle. From the article: "ARS studied eight Holstein males that were developed by Hematech Inc., a pharmaceutical research company based in Sioux Falls, S.D. The evaluation of the prion-free cattle was led by veterinary medical officer Juergen Richt of ARS' National Animal Disease Center (NADC) in Ames, Iowa. The evaluation revealed no apparent developmental abnormalities in the prion-free cattle."

4 of 340 comments (clear)

  1. Dead sheeps by Per+Abrahamsen · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This is great! Now we can go back to feeding the cows a healthy diet of dead sheep, which was how the whole "mad cow" thing started.

    1. Re:Dead sheeps by WindBourne · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Actually, that is not proven. It it THOGUGHT that scrapies is the same as Madcow ( and MC CWD CJD), but they are not certain. But even with that, I want to know how accurate is the test these days? It is great that they did not have any positive in what was suppose to be negative cattle. But will they get a good positive in an infected animal?

      --
      I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
  2. That is one solution... by abscissa · · Score: 4, Insightful

    ... or you could just not feed them parts of their dead relatives?

    1. Re:That is one solution... by Oswald · · Score: 4, Insightful
      Isn't it encouraging to know that, while your solution works in theory, it's not good enough in practice because you can't trust people not to do that.

      Doesn't seem that hard, really, but people are pretty stupid.