CANADA 19 cases of mad cow disease SCENARIO 4: ‘WE HAD OUR CHANCE AND WE BLEW IT’
10/31/2012
Managing Future Risks from BSE and other Emerging Issues
Summary Report of a Foresight Exercise
Background Canada’s cattle industry experienced a severe shock with the
finding of several cases of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in
native-born cattle starting in 2003. The first case in a Canadian-born animal
was reported in May 2003. Since then, a total of 19 cases of BSE have been found
in Canadian cattle, with the latest case detected in February 2011 in a dairy
cow born in 2004.
Lucrative export markets proved fragile resulting in very significant
economic losses despite the industry’s success maintaining reasonable stability
in domestic markets. The cost of market closures and the subsequent actions
taken to sustain the Canadian cattle and beef industries has been variously
estimated to exceed $10 billion.
Seventeen of Canada’s BSE cases (10 dairy, three beef-cross and four beef)
were of the “classical” type of BSE (c-BSE), the form responsible for the vast
majority of cases in most BSE-affected countries. The other two (both beef
animals) were “atypical” cases as they occurred in significantly older animals,
but had slightly different biochemical characteristics from the classic form.
Observations in other BSE-affected countries and ongoing research indicate that
that atypical cases might represent spontaneous forms of BSE. Uncertainties
remain regarding the implications of these atypical cases for both the human
food supply and the animal feed chain.
While the situation has improved significantly, Canada faces ongoing
challenges to the design and costs of its BSE prevention programs and to
international recognition of its BSE status:
1. Two major beef exporting countries (Mexico and the USA) that now share
Canada’s “controlled risk” status for BSE might advance to “negligible risk”
status some years before Canada, thereby gaining trade advantages. Brazil, the
world`s largest beef exporting country, recently was reclassified by the World
Organization for Animal Health (OIE) from ``controlled risk`` to ``negligible
risk`` status for BSE.
2. There are unresolved conflicts between pressures on the one hand to
harmonize feed control standards with the USA in order to stay cost-competitive
and, on the other hand, to accelerate measures to gain international recognition
of Canada’s BSE status as ``negligible risk``:
a. Canada’s regime to safely dispose of specified risk materials (SRM) is
more demanding and costly than that of the USA, but it is still less stringent
than those of the most demanding countries (EU, Japan).
b. Canada’s feed control regime is less rigorous than some others (EU,
Japan) and has been criticized by the OIE for its lack of a testing program and
for limited stringency of rendering practices.
3. BSE surveillance in Canada has declined from 55,000 animals tested in
2007 to about 35,000 animals per year more recently. Is this level sufficiently
robust to support the case that will need to be made for recognition of Canada
as a “negligible risk” country?
4. There remain uncertainties about other prion diseases that are known to
occur in Canada: chronic wasting disease (CWD) and scrapie. In the case of CWD,
uncertainties about the potential host range combined with the ongoing spread of
the CWD agent in the environment of Western Canada may provide arguments for
trading partners who might wish to maintain or raise protective barriers.
The Foresight Exercise To assist in planning for the management of these
and future risks to the industries of similar magnitude, two Workshops were
convened to explore possible future scenarios using a Foresight process.
Participants were drawn from the cattle and beef industries, academia and
governments, including regulatory agencies. Further information on these
Workshops is provided in Appendices 1 to 4.
snip...
Appendix 4: Scenario Stories
The following is a summary of the scenarios developed by Workshop 1
participants.
SCENARIO 1: ‘BLUE SKIES’
Sustainable Production and Robust Markets
Canada
Science
- Affirmed the health benefits of beef in balanced diets.
- Produced a cost-effective test for BSE and other diseases that is widely
used, providing input for a nation-wide data system. The system enables
comprehensive surveillance of the health of Canada’s herd, increasing consumer
confidence.
- Developed and validated more cost-effective methods to safely manage
SRM
- Government and private investment from industries, led to significant
breakthroughs in TSE (transmissible spongiform encephalopathy) science and
genetic research in feed grains, forage and cattle.
SCENARIO 2: ‘BOVINE SITUATION EXTREME’
Unsustainable Production and Fragile Markets
Canada
Science
- Financial support has weakened due to financial problems of Government
and the industries, leading to sharp curtailments of research.
- Work on a vaccine for the variant TSE continues feverishly.
- No major scientific breakthroughs related to the prevention and cure of
prion diseases occurred.
SCENARIO 3: ‘THE THIN STEMMED GLASS’
Sustainable Production and Fragile Markets
Canada
Science
- BSE is not linked to classical CJD, but a TSE is found that is linked to
Alzheimer’s disease.
- Science breakthroughs in neurodegenerative diseases.
- New product development continues.
SCENARIO 4: ‘WE HAD OUR CHANCE AND WE BLEW IT’
Unsustainable Production and Robust Markets
Canada
Science
- Experimental evidence indicates that abnormal prions may persist for
undetermined periods of time in buried materials.
- A new prion disease has occurred in cattle, possibly originated from CWD.
Research funds are not available to investigate its nature and origin.
- The origin, transmission and prevalence of atypical BSE remain
unclear.
- L-type atypical BSE has been demonstrated to be transmissible to
humans.
- New testing procedures indicate the presence of sub-clinical carriers in
the cattle population.
- New scientific knowledge provides no evidence that CWD is transmissible
from Cervids to humans.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Transmission of New Bovine Prion to Mice, Atypical Scrapie, BSE, and
Sporadic CJD, November-December 2012 update
SUMMARY REPORT CALIFORNIA BOVINE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHY CASE
INVESTIGATION JULY 2012
Summary Report BSE 2012
Executive Summary
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Final Feed Investigation Summary - California BSE Case - July 2012
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Update from APHIS Regarding Release of the Final Report on the BSE
Epidemiological Investigation
Tuesday, November 02, 2010
BSE - ATYPICAL LESION DISTRIBUTION (RBSE 92-21367) statutory (obex only)
diagnostic criteria CVL 1992
Thursday, June 14, 2012
R-CALF USA Calls USDA Dishonest and Corrupt; Submits Fourth Request for
Extension
R-CALF United Stockgrowers of America
Monday, June 18, 2012 R-CALF
Submits Incomplete Comments Under Protest in Bizarre Rulemaking “Bovine
Spongiform Encephalopathy; Importation of Bovines and Bovine Products”
CENSORSHIP IS A TERRIBLE THING $$$
Canada has had a COVER-UP policy of mad cow disease since about the 17th
case OR 18th case of mad cow disease. AFTER THAT, all FOIA request were ignored
$$$
THIS proves there is indeed an epidemic of mad cow disease in North
America, and it has been covered up for years and years, if not for decades, and
it’s getting worse $$$
Thursday, February 10, 2011
TRANSMISSIBLE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHY REPORT UPDATE CANADA FEBRUARY 2011
and how to hide mad cow disease in Canada Current as of: 2011-01-31
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
REPORT ON THE INVESTIGATION OF THE SIXTEENTH CASE OF BOVINE SPONGIFORM
ENCEPHALOPATHY (BSE) IN CANADA
Thursday, August 19, 2010
REPORT ON THE INVESTIGATION OF THE SEVENTEENTH CASE OF BOVINE SPONGIFORM
ENCEPHALOPATHY (BSE) IN CANADA
Friday, March 4, 2011
Alberta dairy cow found with mad cow disease
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease Human TSE report update North America, Canada,
Mexico, and USDA PRION UNIT as of May 18, 2012
type determination pending Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease (tdpCJD), is on the
rise in Canada and the USA
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
MEXICO IS UNDER or MIS DIAGNOSING CREUTZFELDT JAKOB DISEASE AND OTHER PRION
DISEASE SOME WITH POSSIBLE nvCJD
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy; Importation of Bovines and Bovine
Products APHIS-2008-0010-0008 RIN:0579-AC68
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy BSE
31 USA SENATORS ASK PRESIDENT OBAMA TO HELP SPREAD MAD COW DISEASE 2012
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
IN CONFIDENCE
SCRAPIE TRANSMISSION TO CHIMPANZEES
IN CONFIDENCE
Sunday, April 18, 2010
SCRAPIE AND ATYPICAL SCRAPIE TRANSMISSION STUDIES A REVIEW 2010
Thursday, March 29, 2012
atypical Nor-98 Scrapie has spread from coast to coast in the USA 2012
NIAA Annual Conference April 11-14, 2011San Antonio, Texas
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Atypical Scrapie NOR-98 confirmed Alberta Canada sheep January 2012
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
20120402 - Breach of quarantine/Violation de la mise en quarantaine of an
ongoing Scrapie investigation
Monday, June 11, 2012
another atypical Nor-98 Scrapie case documented in Canada for 2012
Monday, April 25, 2011
Experimental Oral Transmission of Atypical Scrapie to Sheep
Volume 17, Number 5-May 2011 However, work with transgenic mice has
demonstrated the potential susceptibility of pigs, with the disturbing finding
that the biochemical properties of the resulting PrPSc have changed on
transmission (40).
***The pathology features of Nor98 in the cerebellum of the affected sheep
showed similarities with those of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans.
*** Intriguingly, these conclusions suggest that some pathological features
of Nor98 are reminiscent of Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker disease.
119
*** These observations support the view that a truly infectious TSE agent,
unrecognized until recently, infects sheep and goat flocks and may have
important implications in terms of scrapie control and public health.
Surprisingly the TSE agent characteristics were dramatically different
v/hen passaged into Tg bovine mice. The recovered TSE agent had biological and
biochemical characteristics similar to those of atypical BSE L in the same mouse
model. Moreover, whereas no other TSE agent than BSE were shown to transmit into
Tg porcine mice, atypical scrapie was able to develop into this model, albeit
with low attack rate on first passage.
Furthermore, after adaptation in the porcine mouse model this prion showed
similar biological and biochemical characteristics than BSE adapted to this
porcine mouse model. Altogether these data indicate.
(i) the unsuspected potential abilities of atypical scrapie to cross
species barriers
(ii) the possible capacity of this agent to acquire new characteristics
when crossing species barrier
These findings raise some interrogation on the concept of TSE strain and on
the origin of the diversity of the TSE agents and could have consequences on
field TSE control measures.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Atypical/Nor98 Scrapie Infectivity in Sheep Peripheral Tissues
Monday, November 30, 2009
USDA AND OIE COLLABORATE TO EXCLUDE ATYPICAL SCRAPIE NOR-98 ANIMAL HEALTH
CODE
I strenuously urge the USDA and the OIE et al to revoke the exemption of
the legal global trading of atypical Nor-98 scrapie TSE. ...TSS
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Chronic wasting disease on the Canadian prairies
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
PENNSYLVANIA 2012 THE GREAT ESCAPE OF CWD
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
PENNSYLVANIA 2012 THE GREAT ESCAPE OF CWD INVESTIGATION MOVES INTO
LOUISIANA and INDIANA
Friday, November 09, 2012
Chronic Wasting Disease CWD in cervidae and transmission to other species
OR-10: Variably protease-sensitive prionopathy is transmissible in bank
voles
Romolo Nonno,1 Michele Di Bari,1 Laura Pirisinu,1 Claudia D’Agostino,1
Stefano Marcon,1 Geraldina Riccardi,1 Gabriele Vaccari,1 Piero Parchi,2 Wenquan
Zou,3 Pierluigi Gambetti,3 Umberto Agrimi1 1Istituto Superiore di Sanità; Rome,
Italy; 2Dipartimento di Scienze Neurologiche, Università di Bologna; Bologna,
Italy; 3Case Western Reserve University; Cleveland, OH USA
Background. Variably protease-sensitive prionopathy (VPSPr) is a recently
described “sporadic”neurodegenerative disease involving prion protein
aggregation, which has clinical similarities with non-Alzheimer dementias, such
as fronto-temporal dementia. Currently, 30 cases of VPSPr have been reported in
Europe and USA, of which 19 cases were homozygous for valine at codon 129 of the
prion protein (VV), 8 were MV and 3 were MM. A distinctive feature of VPSPr is
the electrophoretic pattern of PrPSc after digestion with proteinase K (PK).
After PK-treatment, PrP from VPSPr forms a ladder-like electrophoretic pattern
similar to that described in GSS cases. The clinical and pathological features
of VPSPr raised the question of the correct classification of VPSPr among prion
diseases or other forms of neurodegenerative disorders. Here we report
preliminary data on the transmissibility and pathological features of VPSPr
cases in bank voles.
Materials and Methods. Seven VPSPr cases were inoculated in two genetic
lines of bank voles, carrying either methionine or isoleucine at codon 109 of
the prion protein (named BvM109 and BvI109, respectively). Among the VPSPr cases
selected, 2 were VV at PrP codon 129, 3 were MV and 2 were MM. Clinical
diagnosis in voles was confirmed by brain pathological assessment and western
blot for PK-resistant PrPSc (PrPres) with mAbs SAF32, SAF84, 12B2 and 9A2.
Results. To date, 2 VPSPr cases (1 MV and 1 MM) gave positive transmission
in BvM109. Overall, 3 voles were positive with survival time between 290 and 588
d post inoculation (d.p.i.). All positive voles accumulated PrPres in the form
of the typical PrP27–30, which was indistinguishable to that previously observed
in BvM109 inoculated with sCJDMM1 cases.
In BvI109, 3 VPSPr cases (2 VV and 1 MM) showed positive transmission until
now. Overall, 5 voles were positive with survival time between 281 and 596
d.p.i.. In contrast to what observed in BvM109, all BvI109 showed a GSS-like
PrPSc electrophoretic pattern, characterized by low molecular weight PrPres.
These PrPres fragments were positive with mAb 9A2 and 12B2, while being negative
with SAF32 and SAF84, suggesting that they are cleaved at both the C-terminus
and the N-terminus. Second passages are in progress from these first successful
transmissions.
Conclusions. Preliminary results from transmission studies in bank voles
strongly support the notion that VPSPr is a transmissible prion disease.
Interestingly, VPSPr undergoes divergent evolution in the two genetic lines of
voles, with sCJD-like features in BvM109 and GSS-like properties in
BvI109.
The discovery of previously unrecognized prion diseases in both humans and
animals (i.e., Nor98 in small ruminants) demonstrates that the range of prion
diseases might be wider than expected and raises crucial questions about the
epidemiology and strain properties of these new forms. We are investigating this
latter issue by molecular and biological comparison of VPSPr, GSS and Nor98.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
VARIABLY PROTEASE-SENSITVE PRIONOPATHY IS TRANSMISSIBLE, price of prion
poker goes up again $
*** The discovery of previously unrecognized prion diseases in both humans
and animals (i.e., Nor98 in small ruminants) demonstrates that the range of
prion diseases might be wider than expected and raises crucial questions about
the epidemiology and strain properties of these new forms. We are investigating
this latter issue by molecular and biological comparison of VPSPr, GSS and
Nor98.
AS OF AUGUST 2012 ;
CJD UPDATE USA
1 Listed based on the year of death or, if not available, on year of
referral; 2 Cases with suspected prion disease for which brain tissue and/or
blood (in familial cases) were submitted; 3 Disease acquired in the United
Kingdom; 4 Disease was acquired in the United Kingdom in one case and in Saudi
Arabia in the other case; *** 5 Includes 8 cases in which the diagnosis is
pending, and 18 inconclusive cases; *** 6 Includes 10 (9 from 2012) cases with
type determination pending in which the diagnosis of vCJD has been excluded. ***
The Sporadic cases include 16 cases of sporadic Fatal Insomnia (sFI) and 42
cases of Variably Protease-Sensitive Prionopathy (VPSPr) and 2224 cases of
sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD).
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Transmission of New Bovine Prion to Mice, Atypical Scrapie, BSE, and
Sporadic CJD, November-December 2012 update
Friday, November 23, 2012
sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease update As at 5th November 2012 UK, USA,
AND CANADA
snip...
Greetings BSE-L members et al, and others,
Confucius is confused again on the infamous ‘classification pending
sporadic creutzfeldt jakob disease’ cpsCJD, (because nvCJD has been ruled out).
Confucius is confused about why the increase of these cpsCJD cases in the
USA and Canada which we have been seeing, but I saw no reports in the UK
surveillance reports of the infamous North American Classification Pending
Sporadic Creutzfeldt Jakob disease cases.
if truly a supposedly sporadic spontaneous disease, would you not see these
cpsCJD cases popping up all over the world in random ???
or, could these cpsCJD cases be of a North American zoonotic or iatrogenic
from North American zoonoses sub-clinical source ???
or both ???
with so many documented Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy TSE prion
disease in so many different species here in North America, and consumption
there from, I believe that this should be at the forefront of research. ...
Confused Confucius...flounder
snip...see full text ;
Friday, November 23, 2012
sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease update As at 5th November 2012 UK, USA,
AND CANADA
Saturday, October 6, 2012
TRANSMISSION, DIFFERENTIATION, AND PATHOBIOLOGY OF TRANSMISSIBLE SPONGIFORM
ENCEPHALOPATHIES 2011 Annual Report
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Alzheimer’s disease and Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy prion
disease, Iatrogenic, what if ?
Proposal ID: 29403
see the Duke, Pa, Yale, and Mexican study here, showing the misdiagnosis of
CJD TSE prion disease as Alzheimers ;
Monday, August 20, 2012
CASE REPORTS CREUTZFELDT-JAKOB DISEASE: AN UNDER-RECOGNIZED CAUSE OF
DEMENTIA
Thursday, August 02, 2012
CJD case in Saint John prompts letter to patients
Canada CJD case in Saint John prompts letter to patients
layperson
TSS
