The following article is in today's The Tennessean:

USDA to confiscate, kill Vermont sheep

Sheep from three Vermont fairms will be seized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and destroyed because they have tested positive for a disease related to Britain's "mad cow" disease. But two of the farmers insist their animals are disease-free and say the USDA tests are not valid. No cases of mad cow disease in any animal has been found in the United States, but the 376 East Friesian milking sheep have been the subject of USDA scrutiny since they were imported from Belgium and the Netherlands in 1996. On Friday the USDA announced that four sheep have tested positive for transmissible spongiform encephalopathy. That category of illnesses includes bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease, as well as scrapie, known to infect sheet. TSEs, which are 100% fatal, also may cause human disease. USDA scientist Linda Detwiler said it may be two years before tests can tell which form of TSE the animals have. "The reason we think these might have BSE instead of scrapie is that they came from Europe and were fed feed that could have been contaminated with BSE," she said yesterday.

From article really can't tell if all 376 or just the four will be killed. I rather doubt these sheep would have ever ended up on anyone's table and it seems to run counter to my earlier posting about the USDA relaxing meat inspection standards for what does.

Just a tidbit. When the British were trying to eliminate cattle they suspected might have mad cow disease any beef which included bones was forbidden to be sold. A blackmarket developed for cuts such as roasts and ribs.

-- Ken Scharabok (scharabo@aol.com), July 17, 2000

Answers

HMMMMM.... I find this highly interesting... sounds like the USDA won't verify scrapie, however, it sure smaks of it. Now whats really interesting is all of the scrapie discussions have been very quiet... waiting for regulations for goats. At least the ones I'm on. This is one to definately watch and see what happens.. sounds like a precident may be set here.

Bernice

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), July 17, 2000.

I am in the process of going on the Federal Scrapie program. YES, there has been many sheep and a few goats that tested postive for Scapie (mad cow diease). The last case I was told of was a couple of months ago, and whole folk of Black Faced suffolks had to be put down in Idaho. They are now looking for all the people that bought sheep from them. The testing I have seen is very acuriate. Though you need to keep good records,, and for everyone that does that anyway would not be a problem. I for one am glad the USDA will take a tuff stand, and have that Sheep dairy herds put down. I have seen first hand what this mad cow diease in the UK has done to people there, a family memeber included. I don`t want the USA to go through that. Is a very bad and scary diease!! A lot of sheep breeders seem to want to turn a blind eye to it, hoping it will just go away. But if they keep doing it that way, the USA will never get it under control.

-- Bergere (Autumnhaus@aol.com), July 18, 2000.

Concerning the ability of current controls to stop the spread of Mad Cow Disease, this is from an article which appeared in The Tennessean on 5/7/00:

Mad cow disease mystifies Europe.

New York Times News Service

Buellas, France: At first the veterinarian said it might be milk fever. But as the laboratory took longer to report test results, Guy Jambon accepted that it was mad cow disease, although none had ever been detected in this southeast region of France. Health department turcks came a few days later, and all 670 of Jambon's cows were slaughtered and incinerated. "How did the cow get this disease? How did this happen here?" Jambon asked. He is not alone in raising such questions. The number of cases of mad cow disease in France has been climbing steadily, even though preventive measures were introduced in 1991 and in 1996. Mad cow disease continues to loom over Europe like an advancing shadow, many experts say, with much about it still a mystery. In the past few years, more and more countries have reported cases of the disease, which is also known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE. The deadly degenerative brain disease has now been discovered in native-born cows in 10 European countries. In France, six cases were detected in 1997, 18 and 1998 and 30 in 1999. In the first four months of this year, 16 cases have already been detected. European nations have banned beef from stricken cattle. France intends to start a random testing program of cows that have died after exhibiting suspicious behavior.

I cannot find my reference article, but I am pretty sure I read where scientists are now starting to believe it can spread by air without any direct contact between animals, or even any animal by-products from infected animals being in feed, being required.

-- Ken Scharabok (scharabo@aol.com), July 18, 2000.

Yes, the Fed USDA vet did tell me that even if my herd tests NEG,, that if an infected herd moves in nextdoor,, and even if the sheep can`t touch each other that herd could infect my NEG herd. The USDA Vet also said only certain breeds seem to be testing postive to mad cow,,, on my list is Suffolk, Hampshire, Iceland,Mernio, Montadales, cotswold, Northern Cheviots, Dosets, Finn and all the black faced sheep no matter what the breed.Right now it seems to be confind to the commerical flocks. But I think it is worth while to still go onto the program.

-- Bergere (Autumnhaus@aol.com), July 18, 2000.

I am awaiting information fight now on the scrapie situation. However, I feel that the regulations will have far reaching effects on us. I am planning on enrolling into a state reg program for our goats as soon as it becomes clear what our st will be doing. Because of the severity of the restrictions I feel that there will be a big impact on both the sheep and goat industries. You cannot buy or sell if you are on a program only from others also on a program and at your level lest you start all over again. There can be in interstate travel unless on a program, and finally showing of animals will be restricted. The big kicker is that as for goats bucks will no be a concern as they feel its passed from the does at the moment. Another point to consider is since its primary origin was with sheep, any contacts with sheep will mean issues for goats breeders... not slamming the sheep breeders here but my point it that if you show at a fair or fairs as we do, and the sheep are in the same pens before the goats as in displayed before in same barn and the barn is not disenfected, what then? And what if you raise both animals? There are several issues here that the state and federal governments are hammering out and breeders. I feel we must do what we can to prevent the spread of this disease, however, I don't believe its being done in a very open manner. I would love to write more, however, my time is limited, I must get ready for work. I will try to post later today. Have a good day.

Bernice

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), July 19, 2000.

http://cbsnews.cbs.com/now/story/0,1597,215920-412,00.shtml

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), July 19, 2000.

I ask,when has there ever been any truth coming from the lips of any united states government official on anything? Iam not waiting for the government to act I've quit eating all meat!

-- donald michael crow (birdman_birdman@yahoo.com), February 13, 2001.

I think that all the animals that are infected with this deadly disease should be distroyed, but what I am wondering is what if all the other animals that are wild in the United States carry this disease to the other states? Then what will we do? Are we going to start to kill all living things? And another thing is how do you NOT know that those sheep havent already spread the disease? The birds might of flown down and ate grain from them and carried it to other birds!

Chris

-- Chris (brink_142@yahoo.com), March 22, 2001.