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Mad Cow Disease Blamed For Patient's Death In Texas

An anonymous reader writes 'Health officials say a patient in Texas has died of a rare brain disorder believed to be caused by consumption of beef products contaminated with mad cow disease. It is only the fourth known case of its kind in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement that recent laboratory tests confirmed a diagnosis of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in the patient.' From the article: 'The CDC says the Texas patient's history included extensive travel to Europe and the Middle East and that it is likely the infection occurred overseas. In each of the three previous U.S. deaths, the initial infection is believed to have taken place in other countries. ... The Texas Department of State Health Services says there are no state public health concerns or threats associated with the case. State and federal health officials continue to investigate and are trying to track the source of the infection.'

89 of 132 comments (clear)

  1. And the cow goes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Moooooo!

  2. TX Law by Travis+Mansbridge · · Score: 4, Informative

    They have to be careful what they say about beef in Texas, there is a law against disparaging beef in the state.

    1. Re:TX Law by macraig · · Score: 2

      It ain't India, that's for sure. Can't disparage it but you can damned straight slaughter it and serve it up with a dash of A-1.

    2. Re:TX Law by Dutchmaan · · Score: 2

      There's a difference between "steak sedition" and actual defamantion of a beef provider.

    3. Re:TX Law by Tablizer · · Score: 3, Funny

      Cows and corporations are people.

    4. Re:TX Law by plopez · · Score: 1

      Gosh, you'd think in the state where they are so protective of the 2nd amendment they would be interested in the 1st. BTW, the way this is sometimes known as the "Oprah Law" after Oprah Winfrey who aired an episode on tainted beef in TX. I guess that they can no longer tell the joke "The only mad cow in TX is Oprah" anymore.

      --
      putting the 'B' in LGBTQ+
    5. Re:TX Law by Lord+Kano · · Score: 5, Informative

      Oprah said that SHE lost interest in eating hamburgers because of the BSE outbreak in Europe. She didn't disparage US Beef producers. She didn't tell her army of soccer moms to stop eating beef. That's why she won.

      I'm not an Oprah fan but fair is fair and suing her was bullshit.

      LK

      --
      "Hi. This is my friend, Jack Shit, and you don't know him." - Lord Kano
    6. Re:TX Law by davester666 · · Score: 2

      And of course, note that while they require beef from other countries to pretty much all be tested, and fully trackable back to the gleam in the bull's eye, none of that is needed for US beef, particularly that they make sure to test as few animals as possible to minimize the possibility of actually noticing that animal has CJD.

      --
      Sleep your way to a whiter smile...date a dentist!
    7. Re:TX Law by Megane · · Score: 1, Informative

      The CDC says the Texas patient's history included extensive travel to Europe and the Middle East and that it is likely the infection occurred overseas. In each of the three previous U.S. deaths, the initial infection is believed to have taken place in other countries.

      It wasn't from Texas beef.

      --
      #naabhaprzrag, #sverubfr-000, #agi-fcbafberq, negvpyr[pynff*=' negvpyr-ary-'] { qvfcynl: abar !vzcbegnag; }
    8. Re:TX Law by Tanuki64 · · Score: 1

      I guess that they can no longer tell the joke "The only mad cow in TX is Oprah" anymore.

      After seeing several patent decisions from TX courts , I think mad cow disease is rampant in Texas for years. So I guess this joke could not be told for quite some time.

    9. Re:TX Law by MaskedSlacker · · Score: 1

      You know that none of that has anything to do with Mad Cow disease, yes?

    10. Re:TX Law by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 1

      Oh, please. Don't be fatuous. She's huge and has a great influence. If the outbreak is in Europe, then what is there to fear in America? Yeah, she didn't outright say "I recommend you stop eating beef immediately" but that's pretty much what happened. Suppose she had said, "I'm not going to vaccinate my children" and that would be the same thing, right? Bullshit.

      PS put your signature line in your signature file, accessible in the Slashdot user options panel.

      --
      Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
    11. Re:TX Law by Type44Q · · Score: 1

      none of that is needed for US beef

      Exactly! That's the whole point they're trying to make; U.S. beef is safe... so why are we even talking about this?? (/sarc) Nevermind the Yale study that showed a vast proportion of the brains of those [presumed to have died of Alzheimer's] being ridden with holes from vCJD... How else are the elites supposed to solve the population problem, if not through subterfuge?? ;)

    12. Re:TX Law by DoubleJ1024 · · Score: 1

      2nd amendment? I think you need to read up about Texas. They are NOT the 2nd amendment friendly state everyone thinks they are, an example is if you even show the FAINT OUTLINE of a concealed firearm you can be arrested, loose your carry permit, and go to jail. Do not even mention open carry of a firearm or you will get hassled badly by law enforcement. However if you go to just about any of the surrounding states they don't care so much about carrying a firearm. Texas is set up to keep the "undesirables" in their place, and keep the "right" people in power.

    13. Re:TX Law by Vellmont · · Score: 1

      The story you linked to says the burden of proof is on the person suing, and must prove the statement was libelous. I believe libel is already illegal. The makes the law really stupid if it's already covered by libel laws. But it's not quite having to be careful about what you say about beef.

      --
      AccountKiller
    14. Re:TX Law by LifesABeach · · Score: 1

      I was thinking about the Texas logic of "Voting with Your Wallet," it sure looks like it's a hell of a plan.

    15. Re:TX Law by Lord+Kano · · Score: 1

      She's huge and has a great influence. If the outbreak is in Europe, then what is there to fear in America?

      Probably nothing but that's not the point. Like I said, she discussed her personal preference. It doesn't matter that those middle-aged, white soccer moms followed suit. They did so on their own, as they are free to do.

      If someone were to declare that their personal religious beliefs prevented them from vaccinating their children and other people followed suit, each person is responsible for their own choices.

      LK

      --
      "Hi. This is my friend, Jack Shit, and you don't know him." - Lord Kano
    16. Re:TX Law by currently_awake · · Score: 1

      The "Elites" don't want to kill off the poor huddled masses, they want to enslave them to work in their sweatshops and factories. There is no profit to be made from people dying in large numbers as they (the poor) can't afford to pay for that and would just leave the bodies in a pile somewhere. The mad cow crisis has been fixed, they now slaughter cows at a sufficiently young age that they won't show evidence of mad cow disease. Out of sight, out of mind is much cheaper than banning feeding cows animal protein or testing all cows for the disease (both would eliminate problem).

    17. Re:TX Law by bmo · · Score: 1

      PS put your signature line in your signature file

      No.

      --
      BMO

    18. Re:TX Law by Travis+Mansbridge · · Score: 1

      Libel of a person != libel of a food product. So, I stand by my assertion that they need to "be careful what they say about beef" in Texas. Certainly, if it's true, they have nothing to worry about.

    19. Re:TX Law by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      Maybe the steroids prevent mad cow disease?

      If mercury prevents cancer, anything is possible...

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    20. Re:TX Law by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

      Naw, the first amendment is one of them hippie liberal amendments.

      Which is why God made the second Amendment.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    21. Re:TX Law by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

      How is it that you think she had enough influence to convince people to not vaccinate their kids but at the same time, but somehow her change of heart on the matter hasn't affected anyone?

      LK

      Because she's a fucking lying murderess who is personally responsible for a lot of dead children, rotting in their graves becase of dim witted people who believe a porn star rather than scientists. Her path to forgiennes starts with her bearing the responsibility for those dead children. She is not changing her mind, she's trying to rewrite history

      http://www.thedailybeast.com/a...

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    22. Re:TX Law by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

      Probably nothing but that's not the point. Like I said, she discussed her personal preference. It doesn't matter that those middle-aged, white soccer moms followed suit. They did so on their own, as they are free to do.

      A bit of a straw man. But given the weird anti-science/pro personality cult that has grouwn up in the US (science is Liberal BS, Global Warming doesn't exist, the world is 6000 years old, the speed of light is variable, vaccines are the cause of other problems, people do need some responsibility for what tehy say and so.

      I would hope that eventually people will see science as science, and quit trying to determine scientific fact on polls, or politics, or how hot someoone looks without their clothes on.

      If someone were to declare that their personal religious beliefs prevented them from vaccinating their children and other people followed suit, each person is responsible for their own choices.

      LK

      Perhaps that would have gone over well 400 years ago, but some one who makes not getting a vaccine based on their religion is imposing their religion on other people. Allow me

      About 5 years ago, I came down with Whooping cough as an adult. The initial stage just came on like the flu, which came and went fairly quickly.

      Then the whoops started. Now there is some fun. They tend to happen at the bottom of the breathing cycle, whne you just start to take another breath. Then you make these cute little whooping sounds as the world around you goes red, then brown, then you see little sparkly things. If the spasms went way, you'd recover. If not, TTFN.

      The real scary part was they would sometimes happen when I was someplace where if I died, they might not find me for a week. Fortunately that didn't happen, and I recovered, after a few weeks.

      It all happened because of the loss of herd immunity. Enough assholes of one stripe or another decided that immunizations caused autism, or for some reason God wanted to get his hands on little children early, or something. Who knows, maybe liberals are in there somewhere too.

      But regardless, in my experienced opinion, any parent who would knowingly not get their child vaccinated against such an awful way to die should not ever see that child again.

      So unless these religious zealots are willing to move and make their own country, when they can revert to the dark ages and start stoning each other for working on Sunday for all I care, they have no right to kill me - none.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    23. Re:TX Law by Lord+Kano · · Score: 1

      She's not responsible for any of those dead children.

      Their parents may well be but she is not.

      I'm suspicious about vaccine efficacy and the health consequences of vaccination but I vaccinated all of my children anyway. I figured that the known dangers of not vaccinating were worse than the unknown dangers of vaccination. Every parent must make this choice for him or herself.

      If you take your medical advice from a TV personality, you are the one to blame. If anyone out there stopped taking their anti-psychotic medications because Tom Cruise said so, it's not Tom Cruise's fault.

      LK

      --
      "Hi. This is my friend, Jack Shit, and you don't know him." - Lord Kano
    24. Re:TX Law by Lord+Kano · · Score: 1

      It all happened because of the loss of herd immunity.

      You can't declare that with 100% certainty.

      What happened to your individual immunity?

      So unless these religious zealots are willing to move and make their own country, when they can revert to the dark ages and start stoning each other for working on Sunday for all I care, they have no right to kill me - none.

      Everyone is killing you. Every day. We're using electricity produced by a coal powered plant. We're driving or riding in hydrocarbon powered automobiles that spew carbon dioxide, oxides of nitrogen and aromatic carcinogens.

      LK

      --
      "Hi. This is my friend, Jack Shit, and you don't know him." - Lord Kano
    25. Re:TX Law by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

      It all happened because of the loss of herd immunity.

      You can't declare that with 100% certainty.>

      Of course not. Very little of existance exists at the 100 percent certainty.

      What happened to your individual immunity?

      Now there's the interesting part. I was immunized as a child, and some vaccines "wear off" over time. At the time, the anti-Vaxxer movement was only starting to work it's magick, so at the same time my immunity was fading, whooping cough was escaping from the "herd", so to speak. Bingo, my gift from Jenny McCarthy delivered probably by some poor child who had no choice in their getting it. Now people know they must get vaccines like that renewed. Before that, the lack of people with the disease meant we didn't.

      Everyone is killing you. Every day. We're using electricity produced by a coal powered plant. We're driving or riding in hydrocarbon powered automobiles that spew carbon dioxide, oxides of nitrogen and aromatic carcinogens.

      LK

      Life is invariably fatal, and your comparison is specious. We're talking about disease, not toxins. There is no vaccine for coal or benzene. So you don't expose yourself to them if you don't want to. Un-vaccinated children are much harder to avoid. And I know of no one that has a little open bottle of Benzene around their child's neck and making me breath it. That would be about as close a corollary to the vaccine issue that I cna come up with. Pretty silly that.

      In the end, it all boils down to whether another person has the right to kill other people.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    26. Re:TX Law by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

      She's not responsible for any of those dead children.

      Their parents may well be but she is not.

      Both are. The idea that people who influence stupid people are not responsible for that influence is the province of con men and grifters.

      Also kind of like the Mike Tyson defense. Sorry, but con men, of which JMC is one, do get indicted and punished for their con jobs. There will always be stupid people. And for the most part, I'm happy to let them do as they will. But their children need to chance to grow up and be smart or stupid .

      I'm suspicious about vaccine efficacy and the health consequences of vaccination but I vaccinated all of my children anyway. I figured that the known dangers of not vaccinating were worse than the unknown dangers of vaccination.

      Excellent. Life is all a gamble, and I had a few nervous days after my child's vaccinations. Because some little ones do die. But it's all a matter of degree. But a gamble well worth it, because that number is so far beneath the number of children dying even from not getting vaccinated now, not to say anything about the horrible numbers of dead kids before vaccines.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    27. Re:TX Law by RockDoctor · · Score: 1

      slaughter it and serve it up with a dash of A-1.

      Beef with jet A1 fuel? That sounds peculairly revolting.

      Hang on ; we're talking about Texas. That makes sense then.

      --
      Birds are not dinosaur descendants;birds are dinosaurs, for all useful meanings of "birds", "are" and "dinosaurs"
    28. Re:TX Law by Lord+Kano · · Score: 1

      Also kind of like the Mike Tyson defense.

      I am not familiar with that term.

      Sorry, but con men, of which JMC is one, do get indicted and punished for their con jobs.

      There's a difference between being wrong and being intentionally deceptive, especially for financial gain.

      Life is all a gamble, and I had a few nervous days after my child's vaccinations.

      And it was YOUR choice to take that particular gamble. We all have that same freedom.

      LK

      --
      "Hi. This is my friend, Jack Shit, and you don't know him." - Lord Kano
    29. Re:TX Law by Lord+Kano · · Score: 1

      Of course not. Very little of existance exists at the 100 percent certainty.

      Precisely. You can't be sure nor can you prove that anti-vaccination parents are the cause of your case of Pertussis. It's just as possible that someone sneaked across the border and infected you.

      Pertussis is an especially difficult case because the immunization threshold for herd immunity is so high. It's entirely possible that you were infected by someone who wasn't anti-vaccination but simply had some other health problem that prevented vaccination.

      Now people know they must get vaccines like that renewed. Before that, the lack of people with the disease meant we didn't.

      So, you somehow absolve yourself for your ignorance while condemning them for theirs.

      We're talking about disease, not toxins.

      Let me refresh your memory. Thankfully Slashdot doesn't let people edit or delete their posts.

      they have no right to kill me - none.

      You don't get to set the terms of the discussion. You also don't get to determine what other people can and can not do to themselves. Everyone who takes part in the amenities of modern life is helping to kill everyone else. The consequences of our actions apply to everyone that we have even the most incidental connection to. If you don't like that, you can always be a hermit.

      I happen to believe that the smart and responsible thing to do is to vaccinate yourself and your children but it's not my place to demand that anyone else does it.

      I was vaccinated and I have vaccinated my children.

      --
      "Hi. This is my friend, Jack Shit, and you don't know him." - Lord Kano
    30. Re:TX Law by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

      So, you somehow absolve yourself for your ignorance while condemning them for theirs.

      So you just like to argue with people. People didn't know at that time. Perhaps you already know what you don't know?

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    31. Re:TX Law by Lord+Kano · · Score: 1

      I like to play devil's advocate and to point out hypocrisy.

      LK

      --
      "Hi. This is my friend, Jack Shit, and you don't know him." - Lord Kano
    32. Re:TX Law by MaskedSlacker · · Score: 1

      If mercury prevents cancer, anything is possible...

      No. No it's not. David Bowie won't sing at your birthday party either because, no, not everything is possible.

    33. Re:TX Law by cthulhu11 · · Score: 1

      Slaughtering is actually legal in at least two states in India, Rajastan IIRC and another of the Pak-adjacents. Many cattle are transported there for slaughter, and there are thousands of illegal slaughterhouses.

    34. Re:TX Law by cthulhu11 · · Score: 1

      Agreed, I've seen the footage with Howard Lyman, and she said nothing legitimately actionable.

    35. Re:TX Law by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      He wasn't invited and you're a fucking idiot.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    36. Re:TX Law by MaskedSlacker · · Score: 1

      Says the guy with the anger management problem.

  3. Well, whatever you do.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Don't grind the guy up and feed him to any livestock, please.

    Thanks!

    1. Re:Well, whatever you do.... by nitehawk214 · · Score: 1

      Don't grind the guy up and feed him to any livestock, please.

      Thanks!

      ...or eat him, for that matter.

      --
      I'm a good cook. I'm a fantastic eater. - Steven Brust
    2. Re:Well, whatever you do.... by lazy+genes · · Score: 1

      That form of prion disease has never jumped species. They spent millions of dollars trying to get it to jump species and the only case was when they injected it directly into the brain of a mouse. The complexity of this disease makes me think it was designed or that evolution may have been going on for a lot more than 4 billion years. Its an evolutionary solution to the problem of eating the closest thing available and stops zombie apocalypses from starting.

    3. Re:Well, whatever you do.... by AK+Marc · · Score: 1

      You can eat his muscle, but don't eat the brain.

    4. Re:Well, whatever you do.... by ericloewe · · Score: 1

      But you can gain his courage. His rich, tasty courage...

    5. Re:Well, whatever you do.... by nitehawk214 · · Score: 1

      Mad cow disease gives courage. Aha, so that is how it works.

      --
      I'm a good cook. I'm a fantastic eater. - Steven Brust
  4. Of course they have no concerns, they don't test. by ihop0 · · Score: 2

    'The Texas Department of State Health Services says there are no state public health concerns or threats associated with the case. State and federal health officials continue to investigate and are trying to track the source of the infection.'

    It's easy to say there's no concerns when it can take 30yrs to manifest, is eerily similar to Alzheimer's, and can't be diagnosed without a brain biopsy, which is rarely done.

    It'd raise the price of beef 1 cent per pound to test every cow slaughtered, but they obviously lobby tooth & nail against doing so.

  5. Re:Of course they have no concerns, they don't tes by chipperdog · · Score: 1

    Teeth and nails go in the grinder.. :-)

  6. Re:Of course they have no concerns, they don't tes by bswarm · · Score: 1

    "they obviously lobby tooth & nail against doing so" Shouldn't that be "they obviously lobby hoof and mouth against doing so"???

  7. And the mad cow goes... by Pseudonym · · Score: 3, Funny

    Mooooomuwahahahahaha! Moo! Moo! HahahahahaMOOOO! Why is a raven like a writing-desk? MOOOOO!

    --
    sub f{($f)=@_;print"$f(q{$f});";}f(q{sub f{($f)=@_;print"$f(q{$f});";}f});
    1. Re:And the mad cow goes... by Pseudonym · · Score: 1

      I know of at least three comedians who had essentially the same idea independently about 15 years ago.

      --
      sub f{($f)=@_;print"$f(q{$f});";}f(q{sub f{($f)=@_;print"$f(q{$f});";}f});
  8. Re:Of course they have no concerns, they don't tes by Nutria · · Score: 2, Informative

    It'd raise the price of beef 1 cent per pound to test every cow slaughtered,

    Wow... you're a deluded idiot. From TFA, which you obviously did not read:
    A U.S.D.A. surveillance program tests brain tissue taken from about 40,000 dead cows a year for BSE.

    Also from the article:
    Another key part of the U.S. food safety net is to make sure that animal tissues that can carry BSE - including the brain and spinal cord - are removed from cattle before they're processed for food.

    Not only are you a deluded idiot, but you're too stupid to do the barest of study:

    It's easy to say there's no concerns when it can take 30yrs to manifest

    Most victims die six months after initial symptoms appear, often of pneumonia due to impaired coughing reflexes. About 15% of patients survive for two or more years.[12] Some patients have been known to live 4â"5 years with mostly psychological symptoms until the disease progresses causing more physical symptoms leading to a diagnosis and inevitable death usually within the first year of diagnosis.

    --
    "I don't know, therefore Aliens" Wafflebox1
  9. John Titor! by capnskull · · Score: 1

    John Titor mentioned this!

  10. MAN STEAK! by Dutchmaan · · Score: 1

    I say MAN STEAK! MOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! Mad Human Disease is here!!!!!!!!!

  11. GoVegan! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    GoVegan!

    1. Re:GoVegan! by meerling · · Score: 2

      I'd rather not, I'm pretty sure they have some kind of neurological disorder to begin with. ;)

  12. Re:Of course they have no concerns, they don't tes by AK+Marc · · Score: 2

    Most victims die six months after initial symptoms appear,

    And how long from exposure to initial symptoms?

  13. Re:Of course they have no concerns, they don't tes by ihop0 · · Score: 2

    Does the US only slaughter 40,000 cows a year?

    From your link:

    'Additional concerns

    In The Lancet (June 2006), a University College London team suggested that it may take more than 50 years for vCJD to develop, from their studies of kuru, a similar disease in Papua New Guinea.[59] The reasoning behind the claim is that kuru was possibly transmitted through cannibalism in Papua New Guinea when family members would eat the body of a dead relative as a sign of mourning. In the 1950s, cannibalism was banned in Papua New Guinea.[60]

    In the late 20th century, however, kuru reached epidemic proportions in certain Papua New Guinean communities, therefore suggesting that vCJD may also have a similar incubation period of 20 to 50 years.'

  14. Re:Of course they have no concerns, they don't tes by meglon · · Score: 4, Informative

    It'd raise the price of beef 1 cent per pound to test every cow slaughtered,

    Wow... you're a deluded idiot. From TFA, which you obviously did not read: A U.S.D.A. surveillance program tests brain tissue taken from about 40,000 dead cows a year for BSE.

    http://usda01.library.cornell....

    "Commercial cattle slaughter during 2012 totaled 33.0 million head" (pg6)

    At least Ihop0 wasn't a deluded enough of an idiot to confuse 40,000 to 33 million.

    Also from the article: Another key part of the U.S. food safety net is to make sure that animal tissues that can carry BSE - including the brain and spinal cord - are removed from cattle before they're processed for food.

    Not only are you a deluded idiot, but you're too stupid to do the barest of study:

    It's easy to say there's no concerns when it can take 30yrs to manifest

    Most victims die six months after initial symptoms appear, often of pneumonia due to impaired coughing reflexes. About 15% of patients survive for two or more years.[12] Some patients have been known to live 4â"5 years with mostly psychological symptoms until the disease progresses causing more physical symptoms leading to a diagnosis and inevitable death usually within the first year of diagnosis.

    http://memory.ucsf.edu/cjd/ove...

    "The incubation period is the time it takes you to become sick after you've contracted a disease. Cold symptoms usually start a day or two after you're exposed to a cold virus, for example, whereas the time frame for CJD is considerably longer. We think that it often takes years or even decades after exposure to the infectious forms before someone with CJD develops signs and symptoms of the disease."

    And once again, at least Ihop0 wasn't a deluded idiot enough not to understand that the people didn't contract the disease initially the second they started showing initial symptoms.... although the quote you have there from wikipedia basically reinforces what he said, instead of what you are trying to imply.

    So, what was our point other than randomly try to bash someone by having your inability to understand the written word flair up?

    --
    Fascism: An authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization. See also: NAZI's
  15. Texas cows are dwindling by LordNimon · · Score: 1

    Just FYI, the inventory of Texas cows is generally shrinking year over year.

    http://tscra.org/news_blog/201...

    --
    And the men who hold high places must be the ones who start
    To mold a new reality... closer to the heart
    1. Re:Texas cows are dwindling by plopez · · Score: 1

      Beef consumption is declining, thanks to "Mad Cow" and red slime, and the TX industry has been badly hit by drought too. Climate change driven drought no less.

      --
      putting the 'B' in LGBTQ+
  16. In Nevada... by Tablizer · · Score: 1

    ...cows are afraid of catching Mad Bundy Disease.

  17. Re:Of course they have no concerns, they don't tes by Nutria · · Score: 1

    They take a sample from every herd, because even if it would only add $0.01/lb of beef, would there actually be time to analyze all 33M slaughtered head of beef every year?

    Anyway, beef has been big business in the US for a long time. Why is (according to the Minnesota Dept of Health) the disease rate still 1/1,000,000 per year? http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/diseases/cjd/cjd.html

    --
    "I don't know, therefore Aliens" Wafflebox1
  18. Re:Of course they have no concerns, they don't tes by the_B0fh · · Score: 4, Informative

    You are a fucking idiot. It incubates for anywhere up to 7-10 years before symptoms appear. By the time symptoms appear, you're already fucked.

    Testing 40,000 cows is a drop in the bucket. UK tests *EVERY SINGLE COW*.

    The symptoms manifests in cows after about 7 years, so under Bush, they changed the requirement that meat cows be slaughtered before 3, so no one can even spot a cow that is carrying it.

  19. Re:Of course they have no concerns, they don't tes by plopez · · Score: 1

    They should check for "hoof and mouth" as well.

    --
    putting the 'B' in LGBTQ+
  20. Re:Of course they have no concerns, they don't tes by rossdee · · Score: 2

    No, hoof and mouth is a different disease. It doesn't affect humans at all, but it is much more contagious amongst cloven hoof quadrapeds
    (beef, shhep, pigs, etc) it would be a big disaster for the USA.

    Of course theres a separate disease called 'foot in mouth disease' that affects humans, especially politicians

  21. Two cows were grazing... by Stormwatch · · Score: 1

    So, two cows were grazing and chatting...

    "Did you hear about that 'mad cow disease' thing?"
    "Yeah."
    "Aren't you worried?"
    "No. Why should I be? I am not a cow. I am a helicopter!"

    1. Re:Two cows were grazing... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      FFS get some priorities - a man died! This is a mooving story.

  22. Re:Of course they have no concerns, they don't tes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I lived in England thirty years ago and ate the beef. I am still ineligible to donate blood.

  23. Re: Of course they have no concerns, they don't te by jimicus · · Score: 1

    Traditional CJD can take many years to manifest. A variant came about some time ago and the variant only takes a few years to show symptoms.

  24. Re:Of course they have no concerns, they don't tes by oji-sama · · Score: 1

    They take a sample from every herd, because even if it would only add $0.01/lb of beef, would there actually be time to analyze all 33M slaughtered head of beef every year?

    In Finland they check every healthy specimen over 30 moths old and sick ones that are over 24 months old at time of slaughter. Texas might have a cow or two more, but something something economics of scale might be of some help.

    Anyway, beef has been big business in the US for a long time. Why is (according to the Minnesota Dept of Health) the disease rate still 1/1,000,000 per year? http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/diseases/cjd/cjd.html

    I honestly hope the disease rate stays low.

    --
    It is what it is.
  25. Prions in the brain? by Walter+White · · Score: 1

    And woe betide any zombies who eat his brain!

  26. Re:Of course they have no concerns, they don't tes by blippo · · Score: 1

    To answer Your rethorical question: No.

    More than 90,000 cows are slaughtered every day.

    So slightly more than 1 / 1000 of the cattle is tested.

  27. Re:Of course they have no concerns, they don't tes by Megane · · Score: 1
    --
    #naabhaprzrag, #sverubfr-000, #agi-fcbafberq, negvpyr[pynff*=' negvpyr-ary-'] { qvfcynl: abar !vzcbegnag; }
  28. Texas? by wb8nbs · · Score: 1

    My brother in law died of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in Wisconsin. They said he could have been infected up to 20 years earlier, it hangs around until it flares up.

    Trust me, it is NOT a good way to go. Similar to death from Alzheimers, but only takes about a month. Mys ister had a hard finding someone to take the body, noone wanted to touch it.

  29. And the mad cow goes... by Jmstuckman · · Score: 1

    You're 15 years late with that joke, but thanks for playing:
      http://www.niebank.com/madcow....

  30. Re:Of course they have no concerns, they don't tes by Attila+Dimedici · · Score: 1

    Well, yes, but then the UK had a significant number of cases of humans getting the disease (137 cases over 8 years out of a population of approximately 60 million). On the other hand the U.S. has NOT had a significant number of cases (3 cases over 19 years out of a population of 300 million).

    --
    The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted. James Madison
  31. Re:I could point out by GrumblyStuff · · Score: 1

    [...] farmers in the US never really got into feeding their animals ground up animal parts.

    Not quite. Feeding cows to cows had to be explicitly banned by the FDA. Now we feed cows to chickens then feed "poultry litter" to cows. http://www.motherjones.com/tom...

  32. mmmmm steak by nurb432 · · Score: 1

    Its what's for dinner.

    --
    ---- Booth was a patriot ----
  33. Some further detail by Torgo's+Pizza · · Score: 2

    My parents were very good friends with the victim and his wife. His death had a large impact on his family and those that knew him. His death occurred only a few months ago. He was in otherwise good health until recently. Doctor's suspected something neurological but only diagnosed him with probable CJD *after* exploratory brain surgery. Needless to say, the entire hospital and staff were exposed; which prompted immediate attention from state and federal health officials. I'm actually surprised that news of this incident hasn't been publicized until now.

    The family does believe that he contracted the disease during his out of the country travels, and *not* in Texas. As a previous poster mentioned, CJD is a tragic way to go. To the family, it was a sudden shock and a rapid deterioration with absolutely no hope for recovery. I have great admiration for his wife who stood by his side the entire time as she stood by and cared for him until the end.

    1. Re:Some further detail by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      Doctor's[sic] suspected something neurological but only diagnosed him with probable CJD *after* exploratory brain surgery. Needless to say, the entire hospital and staff were exposed

      How, pray tell? Did they make a pate out of the cuttings?

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    2. Re:Some further detail by Vegan+Cyclist · · Score: 1

      That's a pretty rude and awful joke..

      Exposure to TSE/CJD is really a very big threat for medical facilities - it's hard to clean off surgical items, and so contamination can happen very quickly if it's not suspected..combine that with the fact they're not 100% certain how TSE/CJD spreads, and if it can spread from more than brain and spinal fluids..

      In the name of sensitivity and good taste, why not try looking this sort of thing up before saying something both ignorant, and potentially hurtful?

    3. Re:Some further detail by phorm · · Score: 1

      If it is that virulant, then wouldn't be a fairly *huge* risk in the meat market as well. I mean, you've got nearby animals, slaughterhouse floor, instruments, workers, etc...

      Everything I've always read indicated infection came from absorbing materials that had direct contact with the cerebral-spinal system due to infectious prions, and that there wasn't much risk even with meat on the same animal but away from such areas (obviously you still wouldn't want to eat it though).

    4. Re:Some further detail by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      If it could be spread by mere contact, don't you think there'd be more than a few hundred cases?

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  34. Trivial numbers In the grand scheme by Martin+S. · · Score: 1

    UK Cause of Death 2010

    We are more likely to die of heart disease from eating Beef than CJD, the whole thing is a classic ersatz scandal.

    1. Re:Trivial numbers In the grand scheme by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      You're more likely to slip on a dead frog and break your neck going to the supermarket to buy the beef.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  35. Is it some new disease? by white_wyrm · · Score: 1

    Faster, we can still make it to Madagascar!

  36. Re:Of course they have no concerns, they don't tes by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

    At the risk of going Rumsfeld: there's cases, and then there's known cases.

    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  37. Re:Of course they have no concerns, they don't tes by Attila+Dimedici · · Score: 1

    Well, yes, but that applies on both sides of the Atlantic

    --
    The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted. James Madison
  38. Re:Of course they have no concerns, they don't tes by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

    No it doesn't, because on one side they actually test for it.

    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  39. Re:Of course they have no concerns, they don't tes by cthulhu11 · · Score: 1

    AIUI there's a little-known "check-off tax" of $1/cattle used by the government to promote beef consumption. It's also been extensively documented that 1) Slaughterhouse practices are very uneven and that increasing line speeds force cutting corners and sloppy work 2) AMR / "mechanically separated" meat often includes CNS material