Canadian Food Inspection Agency Confirms Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
(BSE) in Alberta The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed bovine
spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a beef cow from Alberta. No part of the
animal's carcass entered the human food or animal feed systems.
The Government of Canada is committed to protecting human and animal health
and takes the management of BSE very seriously. Immediately upon confirmation of
this case, the CFIA launched an investigation and is working closely with
provincial and industry partners.
BSE is a progressive, fatal neurological disease in cattle. Canada's last
confirmed BSE case was reported in 2011. This latest case was detected through
the national BSE surveillance program, which continues to play an important role
in Canada's strategy to manage BSE.
As part of the investigation, the CFIA is seeking to confirm the age of the
animal, its history and how it became infected. The investigation will focus in
on the feed supplied to this animal during the first year of its life. The
Agency will also trace out all animals of equivalent risk. Equivalent risk
animals will be ordered destroyed and tested for BSE.
Canada remains a "controlled BSE risk" country, as recognized by the World
Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). Accordingly, this case should not affect
current exports of Canadian cattle or beef.
The case will be reported to the OIE, in line with Canada's international
obligations and our commitment to transparency. It will be reported on the CFIA
website, as part of the Agency's monthly reportable diseases update.
Transcript - Briefing (February 13, 2015) Date/Date: February 13, 2015
4:00 p.m.
Location/Endroit: Teleconference, Ottawa, Ontario
Principal(s)/Principaux:
Denis Schryburt, Media Relations Officer, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Paul Mayers, Vice-President, Policy and Programs, CFIA Dr. Martine Dubuc,
Vice-President, Science, CFIA, and Delegate for Canada for the World
Organization for Animal Health Nathalie Durand, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Subject/Sujet: The Canadian Food Inspection Agency Holds a Technical Briefing to
Provide More Information on a BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy) Find in
Alberta.
Operator: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Bonjour, mesdames et
messieurs. Welcome to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's technical briefing
on Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy in Alberta. Bienvenue à la séance
d'information technique sur le cas d'Encéphalopathie spongiforme bovine en
Alberta. I would like to turn the meeting over to the technical briefing
operator, Mr. Denis Schryburt. J'aimerais maintenant céder la parole au
modérateur de cette séance, M. Denis Schryburt. À vous la parole, M. Schryburt.
Please go ahead, sir.
Denis Schryburt: Thank you very much. Good afternoon and thank you for
joining us today. My name is Denis Schryburt, Media Relations Officer at the
Canadian Food Inspection Agency, and I'll be moderating today's technical
briefing. I will begin by introducing our speakers who will make a short
statement in both official languages and then open it up to the media for
questions.
Our first speaker is Paul Mayers, Vice-President, Policy and Programs,
followed by Dr. Martine Dubuc, Vice-President, Science, and Delegate for Canada
for the World Organization for Animal Health.
Bonjour et merci de vous joindre à nous aujourd'hui. Mon nom est Denis
Schryburt, agent des Relations avec les médias à l'Agence canadienne
d'inspection des aliments, et j'animerais la séance d'information technique
aujourd'hui. Je vais débuter par présenter nos porte-parole qui feront une brève
déclaration dans les deux langues officielles et ensuite répondre à vos
questions.
Notre premier porte-parole est Paul Mayers, vice-président, Politique et
Programmes, suivi par Martine Dubuc, vice-présidente, science, et la délégué
pour Canada pour l'Organisation mondiale de la santé animale.
I will now invite Paul Mayers to make a brief statement in English. Mr.
Mayers.
Paul Mayers: Thank you, Denis. Good afternoon, everyone, and thank you for
calling in today. We'd like to provide some information today on a developing
animal health situation. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has confirmed
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, also known as BSE, in a beef cow from
Alberta.
First of all, no part of the animal's carcass entered the human food or
animal feed system. Canada's suite of internationally recognized safeguards
effectively protects the safety of food and animal feed. There is no risk to
food safety.
The Government of Canada is committed to protecting human and animal health
and takes the management of BSE very seriously. Immediately upon confirmation of
this case, the CFIA launched an investigation and is working closely with
provincial and industry partners. This investigation will follow the
well-developed procedures we've employed in response to previous BSE
cases.
Canada's last confirmed BSE case was reported in 2011. This latest case in
Alberta was detected through the National BSE Surveillance Program, which is a
program that continues to play an important part in Canada's strategy to manage
BSE. The fact that we continue to see very high levels of producer participation
in the surveillance program underscores the commitment present throughout the
cattle and beef sectors to responsibly manage BSE.
The detection of a small number of additional BSE cases is not unexpected
in the context of the 30,000 samples we take annually, as Canada continues our
ongoing management of this disease.
As has been our practice for CFIA investigations of BSE cases, the Agency
is seeking to confirm the age of the animal, its history and how it may have
become infected. We're also working to trace out all animals of equivalent risk
such as the animals that may have been exposed to the same feed as the infected
animal in the first year of its life. Equivalent risk animals will be ordered
destroyed, and they will be tested for BSE.
The CFIA will notify the World Organization for Animal Health, also known
as the OIE, in line with Canada's international obligations and our commitment
to transparency.
This finding should not affect Canada's status as a controlled BSE risk
country as recognized by the OIE. Canada continues to effectively manage BSE
through a series of integrated safeguards designed to protect both human and
animal health. These include prohibiting risk materials from entering the human
food and animal feed chains and testing cattle for BSE.
Again, the CFIA is strongly committed to protecting animal health. Our
investigation is underway, and we are mobilizing all necessary resources to
address this situation.
Thank you.
Denis Schryburt: Thank you, Mr. Mayers. Et maintenant j'invite Martine
Dubuc à faire une déclaration en français. Mme Dubuc, s'il-vous-plaît.
Dr Martine Dubuc: Merci. Bonjour à tous, et merci de vous être joints à la
téléconférence aujourd'hui. Nous aimerions vous donner aujourd'hui des
renseignements sur une situation de santé animale en évolution.
L'Agence canadienne d'inspection des aliments a confirmé un cas
d'Encéphalopathie spongiforme bovine, aussi connu sous le nom d'ESB, chez une
vache de boucherie provenant de l'Alberta.
Premièrement, j'aimerais signaler qu'aucune partie de la carcasse de
l'animal n'a été introduite dans les chaînes alimentaires humaines et animales.
L'ensemble des mesures de protection mises en place au Canada et qui sont
reconnues à l'échelle internationale protège efficacement la salubrité des
aliments et également l'alimentation animale. Il n'existe aucun risque pour la
salubrité des aliments.
Le gouvernement du Canada est déterminé à protéger la santé humaine et
animale et prend très au sérieux la gestion des cas d'ESB. Tout de suite après
la confirmation de ce cas, l'ACIA a lancé une enquête et elle collabore
étroitement avec ses partenaires provinciaux et également l'industrie pour mener
son enquête.
Cette enquête suivra les procédures bien développées que nous avons
employées avec les cas d'ESB du passé.
Le dernier cas d'ESB confirmé au Canada a été déclaré en 2011.
Ce dernier cas en Alberta a été détecté à l'aide du Programme national de
surveillance de l'ESB qui continue de jouer un rôle important dans la stratégie
canadienne de la gestion de l'ESB.
Le fait que nous continuons de voir un très haut niveau de participation de
la part des producteurs dans le Programme de surveillance met en évidence
l'engagement à travers tout le secteur du bétail et des bovins de boucherie afin
de gérer l'ESB de façon responsable.
La détection d'un petit nombre de cas d'ESB additionnels n'est pas
inattendue dans le contexte des 30 000 échantillons qui sont pris au cours de
chaque année tant que le Canada continue la gestion de cette maladie.
Comme a été la pratique de l'ACIA pour les enquêtes d'ESB, l'ACIA cherche à
confirmer l'âge de l'animal, ses antécédents et le mode de transmission possible
de la maladie chez l'animal. Nous nous employons aussi à retracer tous les
animaux posant un risque équivalent, tels que les animaux qui auraient pu être
exposés aux mêmes aliments que l'animal infecté. Les animaux présentant un
risque équivalent seront abattus et soumis à tests de dépistage de l'ESB.
Afin de se confirmer avec les obligations internationales du Canada et à
notre engagement à l'égard de la transparence, l'ACIA avisera l'Organisation
mondiale de la santé animale, aussi appelée l'OIE.
Cette constatation ne devrait avoir aucune incidence sur le statut de pays
à risque maîtrisé d'ESB du Canada, tel qu'il est reconnu par l'OIE. Le Canada
continue de lutter efficacement contre l'ESB au moyen d'une série de mesures de
protection intégrées afin de protéger la santé des humains et des animaux. Ces
mesures comprennent, notamment, l'interdiction d'entrer des matières à risque
spécifiées dans la chaîne alimentaire des humains et celle des animaux ainsi que
le dépistage de l'ESB chez les bovins.
Encore une fois, l'ACIA est fortement résolue à protéger la santé animale
et notre enquête est en cours et nous mobilisons toutes les ressources
nécessaires afin de résoudre cette situation dans les plus brefs délais.
Je vous remercie de votre attention.
-30-
Timeline of Events: Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy – Alberta – February
2015
February 13
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) holds a technical briefing
related to the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) positive case found in
Alberta.
February 12
The CFIA notifies key trading partners of the new finding and posts the
information on its website.
February 11
The CFIA confirms BSE in one beef cow in Alberta.
The CFIA continue to gather information on the animal's herd of origin and
to trace the suspect animal's offspring.
February 10
The CFIA gather preliminary information on the suspect animal's herd of
origin.
February 9
The CFIA receives a tissue sample from the affected animal and begins
confirmatory testing at its laboratory in Lethbridge.
CFIA inspectors follow up at the farm, obtain additional samples, discuss
next steps with producer and begin the investigation.
February 7
The province of Alberta reports a non-negative test for BSE to the CFIA.
Friday, February 20, 2015
A BSE CANADIAN COW MAD COW UPDATE Transcript - Briefing (February 18, 2015)
EDMONTON - Some of former Alberta premier Ralph Klein's most colourful
quotes — and the reactions they elicited:
SNIP...
"This all came about through the discovery of a single, isolated case of
mad cow disease in one Alberta cow on May 20th. The farmer — I think he was a
Louisiana fish farmer who knew nothing about cattle ranching. I guess any
self-respecting rancher would have shot, shovelled and shut up, but he didn't do
that." — Klein recalls how the mad cow crisis started and rancher Marwyn
Peaster's role. The premier was speaking at the Western Governors Association
meeting in Big Sky, Mont. September 2004.
"The premier meant that in an ironic or almost a sarcastic way." — Klein
spokesman Gordon Turtle.
---
"You would have to eat 10 billion meals of brains, spinal cords, ganglia,
eyeballs and tonsils." — Klein speaking in Montreal in January 2005 on the risk
of humans contracting mad cow disease.
---
"I would offer $5 billion to have a Japanese person to come over here and
eat nothing but Alberta beef for a year. And if he gets mad cow disease, I would
be glad to give him $5 billion — make it $10 billion — Canadian." — Klein
speaking after Japan closed its borders to Canadian beef.
---
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, May 21, 2013
Canada, USA, Bad feed, mad cows: Why we know three BSE cases had a common
origin and why the SSS policy is in full force $$$
Increased Atypical Scrapie Detections
Press reports indicate that increased surveillance is catching what
otherwise would have been unreported findings of atypical scrapie in sheep. In
2009, five new cases have been reported in Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, and
Saskatchewan. With the exception of Quebec, all cases have been diagnosed as
being the atypical form found in older animals. Canada encourages producers to
join its voluntary surveillance program in order to gain scrapie-free status.
The World Animal Health will not classify Canada as scrapie-free until no new
cases are reported for seven years. The Canadian Sheep Federation is calling on
the government to fund a wider surveillance program in order to establish the
level of prevalence prior to setting an eradication date. Besides long-term
testing, industry is calling for a compensation program for farmers who report
unusual deaths in their flocks.
Current as of: 2015-01-31
Sheep flocks and/or goat herds confirmed to be infected with classical
scrapie in Canada in 2015 Date confirmed Location Animal type infected January 5
Ontario Goat
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Alberta Canada First case of chronic wasting disease found in farm elk
since 2002
Comment from Terry Singeltary Sr.
This is a Comment on the Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service (APHIS) Notice: Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals,
Submissions, and Approvals: Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy; Importation of
Animals and Animal
Products
For related information,
Open Docket Folder
 Comment
Docket No.
APHIS-2014-0107 Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy; Importation of Animals and
Animal Products Singeltary Submission ;
I believe that there is more risk to the world from Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy TSE prion aka mad cow type disease now, coming from the United States and all of North America, than there is risk coming to the USA and North America, from other Countries. I am NOT saying I dont think there is any risk for the BSE type TSE prion coming from other Countries, I am just saying that in 2015, why is the APHIS/USDA/FSIS/FDA still ignoring these present mad cow risk factors in North America like they are not here? North America has more strains of TSE prion disease, in more species (excluding zoo animals in the early BSE days, and excluding the Feline TSE and or Canine TSE, because they dont look, and yes, there has been documented evidence and scientific studies, and DEFRA Hound study, that shows the canine spongiform encephalopathy is very possible, if it has not already happened, just not documented), then any other Country in the world. Mink TME, Deer Elk cervid CWD (multiple strains), cBSE cattle, atypical L-type BSE cattle, atypical H-type BSE cattle, atyical HG type BSE cow (the only cow documented in the world to date with this strain), typical sheep goat Scrapie (multiple strains), and the atypical Nor-98 Scrapie, which has been linked to sporadic CJD, Nor-98 atypical Scrapie has spread from coast to coast. sporadic CJD on the rise, with different strains mounting, victims becoming younger, with the latest nvCJD human mad cow case being documented in Texas again, this case, NOT LINKED TO EUROPEAN TRAVEL CDC. typical BSE can propagate as nvCJD and or sporadic CJD (Collinge et al), and sporadic CJD has now been linked to atypical BSE, Scrapie and atypical Scrapie, and scientist are very concerned with CWD TSE prion in the Cervid populations. in my opinion, the BSE MRR policy, which overtook the BSE GBR risk assessments for each country, and then made BSE confirmed countries legal to trade mad cow disease, which was all brought forth AFTER that fateful day December 23, 2003, when the USA lost its gold card i.e. BSE FREE status, thats the day it all started. once the BSE MRR policy was shoved down every countries throat by USDA inc and the OIE, then the legal trading of Scrapie was validated to be a legal trading commodity, also shoved through by the USDA inc and the OIE, the world then lost 30 years of attempted eradication of the BSE TSE prion disease typical and atypical strains, and the BSE TSE Prion aka mad cow type disease was thus made a legal trading commodity, like it or not. its all about money now folks, trade, to hell with human health with a slow incubating disease, that is 100% fatal once clinical, and forget the fact of exposure, sub-clinical infection, and friendly fire there from i.e. iatrogenic TSE prion disease, the pass it forward mode of the TSE PRION aka mad cow type disease. its all going to be sporadic CJD or sporadic ffi, or sporadic gss, or now the infamous VPSPr. ...problem solved $$$ the USDA/APHIS/FSIS/FDA triple mad cow BSE firewall, well, that was nothing but ink on paper. for this very reason I believe the BSE MRR policy is a total failure, and that this policy should be immediately withdrawn, and set back in place the BSE GBR Risk Assessments, with the BSE GBR risk assessments set up to monitor all TSE PRION disease in all species of animals, and that the BSE GBR risk assessments be made stronger than before. lets start with the recent notice that beef from Ireland will be coming to America. Ireland confirmed around 1655 cases of mad cow disease. with the highest year confirming about 333 cases in 2002, with numbers of BSE confirmed cases dropping from that point on, to a documentation of 1 confirmed case in 2013, to date. a drastic decrease in the feeding of cows to cows i.e. the ruminant mad cow feed ban, and the enforcement of that ban, has drastically reduced the number of BSE cases in Europe, minus a few BABs or BARBs. a far cry from the USDA FDA triple BSE firewall, which was nothing more than ink on paper, where in 2007, in one week recall alone, some 10 MILLION POUNDS OF BANNED POTENTIAL MAD COW FEED WENT OUT INTO COMMERCE IN THE USA. this is 10 years post feed ban. in my honest opinion, due to the blatant cover up of BSE TSE prion aka mad cow disease in the USA, we still have no clue as to the true number of cases of BSE mad cow disease in the USA or North America as a whole. ...just saying. Number of reported cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in farmed cattle worldwide* (excluding the United Kingdom) Country/Year snip...please see attached pdf file, with references of breaches in the USA triple BSE mad cow firewalls, and recent science on the TSE prion disease. ...TSS Attachments(1)Docket No. APHIS-2014-0107 Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy; Importation of Animals and Animal Products Singeltary Submission
View
Attachment:
 |
Sunday, January 11, 2015
Docket No. APHIS-2014-0107 Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy; Importation of
Animals and Animal Products Singeltary Submission
Discussion: The C, L and H type BSE cases in Canada exhibit molecular
characteristics similar to those described for classical and atypical BSE cases
from Europe and Japan. *** This supports the theory that the importation of BSE
contaminated feedstuff is the source of C-type BSE in Canada. *** It also
suggests a similar cause or source for atypical BSE in these countries. ***
see page 176 of 201 pages...tss
*** Singeltary reply ; Molecular, Biochemical and Genetic Characteristics
of BSE in Canada Singeltary reply ;
31 Jan 2015 at 20:14 GMT
Saturday, January 24, 2015
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy: Atypical Pros and Cons
Saturday, January 31, 2015
RAPID ADVICE 17-2014 : Evaluation of the risk for public health of casings
in countries with a “negligible risk status for BSE” and on the risk of
modification of the list of specified risk materials (SRM) with regard to BSE
CANADA SEE STEADY INCREASE OF THE SPORADIC CJD’S AND THE VPSPR’S (sporadic
CJD’s). ...tss
PLEASE NOTE, type determination pending Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease (tdpCJD)
in Canada is also on a steady increase.
please see ;
> 3. Final classification of 50 cases from 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 is
pending.
CJD Deaths Reported by CJDSS1, 1994-20122
As of May 31, 2012
Deaths of Definite and Probable CJD
Year Sporadic Iatrogenic Familial GSS FFI vCJD Total
1994 2 0 0 1 0 0 3
1995 3 0 0 0 0 0 3
1996 13 0 0 0 0 0 13
1997 16 0 1 1 0 0 18
1998 22 1 0 1 0 0 24
1999 26 2 2 1 0 0 31
2000 32 0 0 3 0 0 35
2001 27 0 2 1 0 0 30
2002 31 0 2 2 0 1 36
2003 27 1 1 0 0 0 29
2004 42 0 1 0 0 0 43
2005 42 0 0 2 0 0 44
2006 39 0 1 3 1 0 44
2007 35 0 0 4 0 0 39
2008 48 0 1 0 0 0 49
2009 48 0 3 2 0 0 53
2010 34 0 3 0 0 0 37
2011 37 0 2 1 0 1 41
2012 1 0 0 0 0 0 1
Total 525 4 19 22 1 2 573
1. CJDSS began in 1998
2. Data before 1998 are retrospective and partial, data from 1998 to 2008
are complete, and data for 2009 - 2012 are provisional
3. Final classification of 50 cases from 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 is
pending.
CJD Deaths Reported by CJDSS1, 1994-20122
As of May 31, 2012
SEE DECEMBER 2012 CANADA
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Canada Fraser Health Statement on Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease outbreak
Thursday, January 15, 2015
41-year-old Navy Commander with sporadic Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease CJD TSE Prion: Case Report http://creutzfeldt-jakob-disease.blogspot.com/2015/01/41-year-old-navy-commander-with.html
Saturday, January 17, 2015
*** Becky Lockhart 46, Utah’s first female House speaker, dies diagnosed with the extremely rare Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease ***http://creutzfeldt-jakob-disease.blogspot.com/2015/01/becky-lockhart-46-utahs-first-female.html
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Transmission properties of atypical Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: a clue to disease etiology?http://creutzfeldt-jakob-disease.blogspot.com/2015/01/transmission-properties-of-atypical.html
*** Becky Lockhart 46, Utah’s first female House speaker, dies diagnosed with the extremely rare Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease ***http://creutzfeldt-jakob-disease.blogspot.com/2015/01/becky-lockhart-46-utahs-first-female.html
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Transmission properties of atypical Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: a clue to disease etiology?http://creutzfeldt-jakob-disease.blogspot.com/2015/01/transmission-properties-of-atypical.html
TSS
