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Outbreak of Second BSE, the First of U.S. Breed Confirmed
On June 24, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that cattle suspected of BSE infection in November 2004 tested positive by re-testing at a research laboratory in England. This is the second cattle discovered in the U.S.A..
While the cattle was found BSE positive by the initial test, it turned out to be negative by a confirmatory
"immunohistochemistry (IHC) test", which led USDA to determine it to be not infected. However, following a recommendation from USDA's internal inspection office to try and use other testing methods, a fresh test was conducted using the highly detectable Western blot method used in Europe for confirmation and the cattle tested positive. USDA, therefore, asked on June 10 a specialist laboratory in England to make a final test.
With the test results having swung between positive and negative, Agriculture Secretary Johanns announced that the future BSE confirmatory test following positive result by a simple test will be conducted using both IHC method and Western blot method as is practiced in Europe and that the department will determine a cattle infected if either of the two methods tested positive for
BSE. USDA also announced that the second cattle was 12 years old U.S. breed, born in the state of Texas. The first BSE cattle discovered in the U.S.A. in December 2003 was imported from Canada, so the case this time makes it the first U.S. breed infected with
BSE.
Concerning talks with Japan on the resumption of beef imports, the secretary emphasized that the cattle in question this time around is very highly aged, so this does not affect US-Japan beef talks at all as it relates only to beef from cattle under 20 months and younger.
On hearing the news that the second BSE cattle in the U.S.A. was U.S. breed, Mr. Mamoru Ishihara, vice-minister of MAFF told the press conference on June 30 that the United States' hitherto held assertion has lost ground and said "the U.S.A. finds itself in a difficult position as it has been self-declaring itself as tentatively clean or quasi-clean country in terms of BSE." He expressed the hope saying "the U.S.A. will listen humbly to what the experts and Japan say."
Mr. Nobuyoshi Shimamura, agriculture minister of Japan held a talk with Secretary Johanns in Dalian, China on July 13, including the issue of Japanese beef import resumption. During the talk, the U.S.A. called for an early resumption of import and Minister Shimamura took the opportunity to explain once again that he will wait to see how discussions of the Food Safety Commission, which deliberates on conditions of import resumption based on science, will evolve and emphasized "I can not lightly say at this stage when (import will be resumed)."
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