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Another Oprah Moment

Brad S

Well-known member
So Creekstone tests a safe beef supply with a test that won't test for bse, but creekstone sez bse tested because in other aplications the bse test will test for bse.

Next week/month or year all packers will be forced by perception to test said safe beef supply with an ineffective test just to appear as safe as creekstone.

Sometime after all packers claim bse tested on safe beef that isn't really bse tested, Oprah will have a show explaining all this beef claiming to be bse tested is tested by a test not effective in that particular application. The selloff will be massive, and public confidence will be rightfully irrepairable.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Brad S said:
So Creekstone tests a safe beef supply with a test that won't test for bse, but creekstone sez bse tested because in other aplications the bse test will test for bse.

Next week/month or year all packers will be forced by perception to test said safe beef supply with an ineffective test just to appear as safe as creekstone.

Sometime after all packers claim bse tested on safe beef that isn't really bse tested, Oprah will have a show explaining all this beef claiming to be bse tested is tested by a test not effective in that particular application. The selloff will be massive, and public confidence will be rightfully irrepairable.

Brad are you saying the test that USDA is using is ineffective :???: ...Creekstone planned to use the exact same test- or whatever the Japanese/customer requested...And it has found BSE in cattle as young as 21 months old in Japan.....
 

Mike

Well-known member
That's about as "Oprah" as the NCBA AND AMI wanting to label beef being shipped to Japan as "BSE FREE"....................................


get this..........................



WITHOUT ANY TESTING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Sandhusker

Well-known member
Brad S said:
So Creekstone tests a safe beef supply with a test that won't test for bse, but creekstone sez bse tested because in other aplications the bse test will test for bse.

Next week/month or year all packers will be forced by perception to test said safe beef supply with an ineffective test just to appear as safe as creekstone.

Sometime after all packers claim bse tested on safe beef that isn't really bse tested, Oprah will have a show explaining all this beef claiming to be bse tested is tested by a test not effective in that particular application. The selloff will be massive, and public confidence will be rightfully irrepairable.

2002; So (enter supplier X) is allowed to sell hormone free beef against a safe beef supply under the guise of health food.

Next week/month or year all packers will be forced by perception to only sell hormone free just to appear as safe as Supplier X.

2007: Oooops, it never happened. Obviously, not everybody thinks hormone free is worth the extra price and they are still buying the "regular" beef. I wonder if the same would apply to BSE tested beef?
 

Brad S

Well-known member
While I'm aware of the lone incedent in Japan where an animal was perported to be 21 months old and diagnosed with bse, yes I'm saying the test is claimed by noone to be effective on the vast majority of US raised fed beef. I realize that the lone savior to "testing fed beef" is on an animal perported to gain less than 2# per day of age. That ain't reality in the US or Canada.

I've turned trip after trip born in march and processed in feb(11 months later). This is along the lines of what Creekstone processes. OT, What test claims to be able to test for bse in these cattle?
 

Sandhusker

Well-known member
Brad, this whole deal isn't about what Creekstone might find, although the judge did allow that they might find a real case of BSE. This is about doing what it takes to market your product and the USDA exceeding their authority to hamper business.

Judge Robertson noted that other countries go to greater lengths with their BSE policies (including measures that the USDA says are also not based on sound science), and that does put Creekstone at a competitive disadvantage to those countries.
 

Mike

Well-known member
The USDA claims the test they use (Bio-Rad, same as Creekstone's) will find BSE in 'Anything Possibly Infected'.

If your feeder demanded a "Rabies" test on every head you ship to him, would you decline his offer just because you know that your cattle weren't infected?
 

flounder

Well-known member
Brad S said:
While I'm aware of the lone incedent in Japan where an animal was perported to be 21 months old and diagnosed with bse, yes I'm saying the test is claimed by noone to be effective on the vast majority of US raised fed beef. I realize that the lone savior to "testing fed beef" is on an animal perported to gain less than 2# per day of age. That ain't reality in the US or Canada.

I've turned trip after trip born in march and processed in feb(11 months later). This is along the lines of what Creekstone processes. OT, What test claims to be able to test for bse in these cattle?





Young steer negative for BSE
20-month-old animal would have been one of youngest to have disease

TOKYO (AP)--A 20-month-old steer in northeastern Japan initially suspected of having bovine spongiform encephalopathy has tested negative, a health official said April 18.

The young Holstein was slaughtered for meat recently in Fukushima prefecture (state) and initially tested positive for the brain-wasting disease.

But further tests at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Tokyo showed the steer did not have BSE, according to prefectural health official Shinichi Nakajima.

The case had caused concern because of the steer's young age. The youngest cow to have contracted the disease as of 2005 was a 20-month-old cow found in the United Kingdom in 1992, according to Japan's Food Safety Commission.

Separately, inspectors in Okayama prefecture (state), west of Tokyo, found late April 17 that a 6-year-old dairy cow, intended to be slaughtered for meat, has tested positive for the disease, said health official Waichiro Kawai.

Confirmation of the results could come as early as April 19, Kawai said.

Japan in December eased a two-year-old ban on U.S. beef to allow imports from cows aged 20 months or younger which did not contain body parts thought at risk of the brain-wasting disease. The trade was again halted after a U.S. veal shipment was found to contain prohibited bones.

The United States, in contrast, requires removal of at-risk parts from animals older than 30 months, although there is a short list of tissues that must be removed from younger animals. U.S. officials have argued cows younger than that face minuscule risks of BSE.

Japan's ban on U.S. beef has been detrimental to a trading relationship worth millions of dollars to American producers. Japan's market was worth US$1.4 billion annually when its government banned American beef in response to the first U.S. case of BSE in December 2003.

The two countries are still negotiating possible safeguards that might allow trade to resume.

BSE is a degenerative nerve disease in cattle. Eating contaminated meat products has been linked to the rare but fatal variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Japan, which tests all cattle killed for meat, has confirmed 24 cases of BSE since 2001 - including three cases this year, according to the Agricultural Ministry. There have been three confirmed cases of the disease in the U.S.

5/1/06



http://www.hpj.com/archives/2006/may06/may1/YoungsteernegativeforBSE.cfm





BSE: Statistics - Youngest and oldest cases by year of onset (for passive surveillance cases) and on year of slaughter (for active surveillance cases)






As at 1 March 2007.

NB The last case in an animal aged 30 months or less was in 1996

Year of onset Age youngest case
(mnths) Age 2nd youngest case
(mnths) Age 2nd oldest case
(yrs.mnths) Age oldest case
(yrs.mnths)
1986 30 33 5.03 5.07
1987 30 31 9.09 10
1988 24 27 10.02 11.01 (2)
1989 21 24 (4) 12 (2) 15.04
1990 24 (2) 26 13.03 14
1991 24 26 (3) 14.02 17.05
1992 20 26 15.02 16.02
1993 29 30 (3) 14.1 18.1
1994 30 (2) 31 (2) 14.05 16.07
1995 24 32 14.09 15.05
1996 29 30 15.07 17.02



snip...


http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/bse/statistics/bse/yng-old.html




PrPSc distribution of a natural case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy

Yoshifumi Iwamaru, Yuka Okubo, Tamako Ikeda, Hiroko Hayashi, Mori- kazu Imamura, Takashi Yokoyama and Morikazu Shinagawa

Priori Disease Research Center, National Institute of Animal Health, 3-1-5 Kannondai, Tsukuba 305-0856 Japan [email protected]

Abstract

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is a disease of cattle that causes progressive neurodegeneration of the central nervous system. Infectivity of BSE agent is

accompanied with an abnormal isoform of prion protein (PrPSc).

The specified risk materials (SRM) are tissues potentially carrying BSE infectivity. The following tissues are designated as SRM in Japan: the skull including the brain and

eyes but excluding the glossa and the masse- ter muscle, the vertebral column excluding the vertebrae of the tail, spinal cord, distal illeum. For a risk management step, the

use of SRM in both animal feed or human food has been prohibited. However, detailed PrPSc distribution remains obscure in BSE cattle and it has caused controversies

about definitions of SRM. Therefore we have examined PrPSc distribution in a BSE cattle by Western blotting to reassess definitions of SRM.

The 11th BSE case in Japan was detected in fallen stock surveillance. The carcass was stocked in the refrigerator. For the detection of PrPSc, 200 mg of tissue samples

were homogenized. Following collagenase treatment, samples were digested with proteinase K. After digestion, PrPSc was precipitated by sodium phosphotungstate (PTA).

The pellets were subjected to Western blotting using the standard procedure. Anti-prion protein monoclonal antibody (mAb) T2 conjugated horseradish peroxidase was used

for the detection of PrPSc.

PrPSc was detected in brain, spinal cord, dorsal root ganglia, trigeminal ganglia, sublingual ganglion, retina. In addition, PrPSc was also detected in the peripheral nerves

(sciatic nerve, tibial nerve, vagus nerve).

Our results suggest that the currently accepted definitions of SRM in BSE cattle may need to be reexamined.

T. Kitamoto (Ed.)PRIONSFood and Drug Safety



================



ALSO from the International Symposium of Prion Diseases held in Sendai, October 31, to November 2, 2004;



Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in Japan



snip...



"Furthermore, current studies into transmission of cases of BSE that are atypical or that develop in young cattle are expected to

amplify the BSE prion"



NO. Date conf. Farm Birth place and Date Age at diagnosis



1. 8. 2003.10.6. Fukushima Tochigi 2001.10.13. 23

2. 9. 2003.11.4. Hiroshima Hyogo 2002.1.13. 21



Test results



# 8b, 9c cows Elisa Positive, WB Positive, IHC negative, histopathology negative



b = atypical BSE case

c = case of BSE in a young animal

b,c, No PrPSc on IHC, and no spongiform change on histology

International Symposium of Prion Diseases held in Sendai, October 31, to November 2, 2004.

Page 6 of 98

8/3/2006

Tetsuyuki Kitamoto Professor and Chairman Department of Prion Research Tohoku University School of Medicine 2-1

SeiryoAoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, JAPAN TEL +81-22-717-8147 FAX +81-22-717-8148 e-mail; [email protected]

Symposium Secretariat Kyomi Sasaki TEL +81-22-717-8233 FAX +81-22-717-7656 e-mail: [email protected]

=================================

Atypical Proteinase K-Resistant Prion Protein (PrPres) observed in an Apparently Healthy 23-Month-Old Holstein Steer

Jpn. J. Infect. Dis., 56, 221-222, 2003

Laboratory and Epidemiology Communications

Atypical Proteinase K-Resistant Prion Protein (PrPres) Observed in an Apparently Healthy 23-Month-Old Holstein Steer

Yoshio Yamakawa*, KenÕichi Hagiwara, Kyoko Nohtomi, Yuko Nakamura, Masahiro Nishizima ,Yoshimi Higuchi1, Yuko Sato1,

Tetsutaro Sata1 and the Expert Committee for BSE Diagnosis, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan2

Department of Biochemistry & Cell Biology and 1Department of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo 162-

8640 and 2Miistry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Tokyo 100-8916

Communicated by Tetsutaro Sata

(Accepted December 2, 2003)

*Corresponding author: Mailing address: Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases,

Toyama 1-23-1, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 1628640, Japan. Tel: +81-3-5285-1111, Fax: +81-3-5285-1157, E-mail: [email protected]

Since October 18, 2001, 'bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) examination for all cattle slaughtered at abattoirs in the

country' has been mandated in Japan by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW). 'Plateria' ELISA-kit (Bio-Rad

Laboratories, Hercules, Calif., USA) is routinely used at abattoirs for detecting proteinase K (PK)-resistant prion protein (PrPSc) in

the obex region. Samples positive according to the ELISA screening are further subjected to Western blot (WB) and histologic and

immunohistochemical examination (IHC) at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID) or Obihiro University. If PrPSc is

detected either by WB or by IHC, the cattle are diagnosed as BSE. The diagnosis is approved by the Expert Committee for BSE

Diagnosis, MHLW. From October 18, 2001 to September 30, 2003, approximately 2.5 million cattle were screened at abattoirs. A

hundred and ten specimens positive according to ELISA were subjected to WB/IHC. Seven showed positive by both WB and IHC,

all exhibiting the typical electrophoretic profile of a high content of the di-glycosylated molecular form of PrPSc (1-3) and the

distinctive granular deposition of PrPSc in neuronal cells and neuropil of the dorsal nucleus of vagus.

An ELISA-positive specimen from a 23 month-old Holstein steer slaughtered on September 29, 2003, in Ibaraki Prefecture (Ibaraki

case) was sent to the NIID for confirmation. The animal was reportedly healthy before slaughter. The OD titer in ELISA was

slightly higher than the 'cut-off' level given by the manufacturer. The histology showed no spongiform changes and IHC revealed

no signal of PrPSc accumulation typical for BSE. However, WB analysis of the homogenate that was prepared from the obex

region and used for ELISA revealed a small amount of PrPSc with an electrophoretic profile different from that of typical BSEassociated

PrPSc (1-3). The characteristics were (i) low content of the di-glycosylated molecular form of PrPSc, (ii) a faster

migration of the non-glycosylated form of PrPSc on SDS-PAGE, and (iii) less resistance against PK digestion as compared with

an authentic PrPSc specimen derived from an 83-month-old Holstein (Wakayama case) (Fig. 1). Table 1 summarizes the relative

amounts of three distinctive glycoforms (di-, mono, non-glycosylated) of PrPSc calculated by densitometric analysis of the blot

shown in Fig. 1. As 2.5 mg wet weight obex-equivalent homogenate of the Ibaraki case (Fig. 1, lane 4) gave slightly stronger band

intensities of PrPSc than an 8 mg wet weight obex-equivqlent homogenate of a typical BSE-affected Wakayama case (Fig. 1, lane

2), the amount of PrPSc accumulated in the Ibaraki case was calculated to be 1/500 - 1/1000 of the Wakayama case. In the

Ibaraki case, the PrPSc bands were not detectable in the homogenates of the proximal surrounding region of the obex. These

findings were consistent with the low OD value in ELISA, i.e., 0.2 -0.3 for the Ibaraki case versus over 3.0 for the Wakayama case.

The DNA sequence of the PrP coding region of the Ibaraki case was the same as that appearing in the database (GenBank

accession number: AJ298878). More recently, we encountered another case that resembled the Ibaraki case. It was a 21-

monthold Holstein steer from Hiroshima Prefecture. WB showed typical BSE-specific PrPSc deposition though IHC did not detect

positive signals of PrPSc (data not shown).

Page 7 of 98

8/3/2006

Though the clinical onset of BSE is usually at around 5 years of age or later, a 20-month-old case showing the clinical signs has

been reported (4). Variant forms of BSE similar to our cases, i.e., with atypical histopathological and/or biochemical phenotype,

have been recently reported in Italy (5) and in France (6). Such variant BSE was not associated with mutations in the prion protein

(PrP) coding region as in our case (5,6).

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF) announced a ban of feeding ruminants with meat bone meal

(MBM) on September 18, 2001, and a complete ban was made on October 15 of the same year. According to the recent MAFF

report, the previous seven cases of BSE in Japan were cattle born in 1995 - 1996 and possibly fed with cross-contaminated feed.

However, the two cattle in this report were born after the complete ban. Whether contaminated MBM was implicated in the present

cases remains to be investigated.

REFERENCES

Collinge, J., Sidle, K. C. L., Meads, J., Ironside, J. and Hill, A. F. (1996): Molecular analysis of prion strain variation and the

aetiology of 'new variant' CJD. Nature, 383, 685

690. Bruce, M. E., Will, R. G., Ironside, J. W., McConnell, I., Drummond, D., Suttie, A., McCardle, L., Chree, A., Hope, J., Birkett,

C., Cousens, S., Fraser, H. and Bostock, C. J. (1997): Transmissions to mice indicate that 'new variant' CJD is caused by the BSE

agent. Nature, 389, 498-501. Hill, A. F., Desbruslais, M., Joiner, S., Sidle, K. C. L., Gowland, I. and Collinge, J. (1997): The same

prion strain causes vCJD and BSE. Nature, 389, 448-450. Matravers, W., Bridgeman, J. and Smith, M.-F. (ed.)(2000): The BSE

Inquiry. p. 37. vol. 16. The Stationery Office Ltd., Norwich, UK. Casalone, C., Zanusso, G., Acutis, P. L., Crescio, M. I., Corona,

C., Ferrari, S., Capobianco, R., Tagliavini, F., Monaco, S. and Caramelli, M. (2003): Identification of a novel molecular and

neuropathological BSE phenotype in Italy. International Conference on Prion Disease: from basic research to intervention

concepts. Gasreig, Munhen, October 8-10. Bicaba, A. G., Laplanche, J. L., Ryder, S. and Baron, T. (2003): A molecular variant of

bovine spongiform encephalopatie. International Conference on Prion Disease: from basic research to intervention concepts.

Gasreig, Munhen, October 8-10. Asante, E. A., Linehan, J. M., Desbruslais, M., Joiner, S., Gowland, I., Wood, A. L., Welch, J.,

Hill, A. F., Lloyd, S. E., Wadsworth, J. D. F. and Collinge, J. (2002). BSE prions propagate as either variant CJD-like or sporadic

CJD-like prion strains in transgenic mice expressing human prion protein. EMBO J., 21, 6358-6366.

9/13/2005

Page 12 of 17

SEE SLIDES IN PDF FILE;



http://www.nih.go.jp/JJID/56/221.pdf



http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/Comments/03-025IFA/03-025IFA-2.pdf



http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/Comments/2006-0011/2006-0011-1.pdf




Subject: OPINION: BATCH testing of TSE rapid tests: SAMPLE SELECTION AND TEST SENSITIVITY ISSUES
Date: March 24, 2007 at 8:23 am PST
Opinion of the Scientific Panel BIOHAZ on the CRL report on batch testing of TSE rapid tests: sample selection and test sensitivity issues

Adopted on 7 March 2007. (Question Nº EFSA-Q-2006-204)
Last updated: 23 March 2007 Publication Date: 23 March 2007


Summary

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and its Scientific Panel on Biological Hazards and the Expert Working Group on Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE) Testing were asked by the European Commission (EC) to evaluate a report of the Community Reference Laboratory (CRL) on batch testing of TSE rapid test kits which highlighted some matters of concern including sample selection and test sensitivity issues. At present, 12 rapid BSE test kits are approved by the EC for the post mortem testing of slaughtered cattle in accordance with the TSE Regulation (EC) No 999/2001.
The aim of a “Batch testing” programme is to compare different batches of a particular test kit for consistency of performance. A panel of samples is tested using each new batch of kits produced. The results obtained must fall within pre-determined limits. Batch release testing and /or approval are carried out to varying degrees by Member States. In order to establish a European wide batch testing procedure the CRL has assembled a panel of brain homogenates prepared from BSE positive bovine brain to be used for batch testing purposes. This sample panel was tested by the test manufacturers in their own laboratories using EU approved rapid tests. Most of the tests identified all of the positive samples in the set as positive, with medium to high readings. However, several of the tests failed to detect some of the positive samples, including some strongly positive samples. The CRL prepared a report on the testing and this was communicated to the companies concerned. These companies were given time to respond to the report and their replies were forwarded together with the CRL report to the EFSA for evaluation.
The experts of the Scientific Panel on Biological Hazards (BIOHAZ Panel) reviewed the CRL report on batch testing data and concluded that not all of the nine tests evaluated performed equally. The implications of this are twofold; firstly, the sample panel cannot be used in its current state to provide a batch testing system for all currently approved EU BSE rapid tests, although it is suitable for most of them. Secondly, they also suggest that there are profound differences in performance in terms of robustness, with respect to sample format, displayed by currently approved rapid tests. Consequentially, any observed differences in performance, if real, would be of concern. The observation that aliquots of the same positive sample were found to be highly positive according to some of the approved rapid tests but negative according to others, could be attributable to aspects of the test performance and/or to properties of the sample material tested. These concerns are addressed in a number of recommendations, as formulated in the Opinion.
The BIOHAZ Panel further concluded that these batch testing data do not compromise the previous Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM)-EFSA evaluation of rapid BSE tests.


________________________________

1 For citation purposes: Opinion of the Scientific Panel on Biological Hazards on a request from the European Commission on the CRL report on batch testing of TSE rapid tests: sample selection and test sensitivity issues, The EFSA Journal (2007), 443, 1-18.


http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/science/biohaz/biohaz_opinions/ej445_batch.html


Opinion

http://www.efsa.europa.eu/etc/medialib/efsa/science/biohaz/biohaz_opinions/ej445_batch.Par.0001.File.dat/biohaz_op_ej445_crl_batch_en.pdf


Summary

http://www.efsa.europa.eu/etc/medialib/efsa/science/biohaz/biohaz_opinions/ej445_batch.Par.0002.File.dat/biohaz_op_ej445_crl_batch_summary_en.pdf


TSS
 

Kathy

Well-known member
Jpn J Infect Dis. 2006 Apr;59(2):100-7.

Distribution of PrP(Sc) in cattle with bovine spongiform encephalopathy slaughtered at abattoirs in Japan.

Iwata N, Sato Y, Higuchi Y, Nohtomi K, Nagata N, Hasegawa H, Tobiume M, Nakamura Y, Hagiwara K, Furuoka H, Horiuchi M, Yamakawa Y, Sata T.
Department of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan.

Three 80- to 95-month-old Holstein dairy cattle infected naturally with the agent of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and slaughtered at abattoirs in Japan were examined for the distribution of disease-specific and protease-resistant prion protein (PrP(Sc)) by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and Western blot (WB) analyses. The cattle showed no clinical signs or symptoms relevant to BSE but were screened as positive by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, a rapid test for BSE. This positive result was confirmed by IHC or WB in a specimen of the medulla oblongata. Histopathologically, these cattle showed no vacuolation in tissue sections from the central nervous system except for the medulla oblongata. Both IHC and WB analyses revealed PrP(Sc) accumulation in the brain, spinal cord, satellite and ganglionic cells of the dorsal root ganglia, and the myenteric plexus of the distal ileum. In addition, small amounts of PrP(Sc) were detected in the peripheral nerves of 2 cattle by WB. No PrP(Sc) was demonstrated by either method in the Peyer's patches of the distal ileum; lymphoid tissues including the palatine tonsils, lymph nodes, and spleen; or other tissues. The distribution of PrP(Sc) accumulation in the preclinical stage was different between naturally infected cattle and cattle inoculated experimentally with the BSE agent.

PMID: 16632909

This study is free on-line.

http://www.nih.go.jp/JJID/59/100.pdf

It is extremely important to note that animals with NATURALLY occurring BSE verses EXPERIMENTALLY induced disease involving laboratory manipulation of tissue (homogenization, enzyme treatment and sonication) showed DIFFERENT results with respect to where malformed prions accumulated.

In the paper, the atypical BSE is said to show much more accumulation of malformed prions in the OLFACTORY area of the brain, as opposed to typical BSE which has a different pattern of distribution with highest concentrations in the medulla oblongata (obex) of the brain stem. This points to the differing methods of exposure to the "agent" (as you know in my opinion is metals/radionuclides) ie: inhalation verses ingestion.

Cattle, sheep and deer/elk are extremely prone to the inhalation of these toxins while they graze on the grass. Radon gas, for example, is 8 times heavier than regular air and hugs the ground while it drifts in the wind. Mine tailing piles and naturally occuring deposits of radionuclides emit these radioactive gases, another eg 210Pb. This is why uranium mine tailings and phosphorous mine tailings are kept in extremely large piles, so that the gases escape very slowly. If they were spread out over a large area, the toxic release of these gases would be clearly evident down-wind.
 

Econ101

Well-known member
Kathy said:
Jpn J Infect Dis. 2006 Apr;59(2):100-7.

Distribution of PrP(Sc) in cattle with bovine spongiform encephalopathy slaughtered at abattoirs in Japan.

Iwata N, Sato Y, Higuchi Y, Nohtomi K, Nagata N, Hasegawa H, Tobiume M, Nakamura Y, Hagiwara K, Furuoka H, Horiuchi M, Yamakawa Y, Sata T.
Department of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan.

Three 80- to 95-month-old Holstein dairy cattle infected naturally with the agent of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and slaughtered at abattoirs in Japan were examined for the distribution of disease-specific and protease-resistant prion protein (PrP(Sc)) by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and Western blot (WB) analyses. The cattle showed no clinical signs or symptoms relevant to BSE but were screened as positive by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, a rapid test for BSE. This positive result was confirmed by IHC or WB in a specimen of the medulla oblongata. Histopathologically, these cattle showed no vacuolation in tissue sections from the central nervous system except for the medulla oblongata. Both IHC and WB analyses revealed PrP(Sc) accumulation in the brain, spinal cord, satellite and ganglionic cells of the dorsal root ganglia, and the myenteric plexus of the distal ileum. In addition, small amounts of PrP(Sc) were detected in the peripheral nerves of 2 cattle by WB. No PrP(Sc) was demonstrated by either method in the Peyer's patches of the distal ileum; lymphoid tissues including the palatine tonsils, lymph nodes, and spleen; or other tissues. The distribution of PrP(Sc) accumulation in the preclinical stage was different between naturally infected cattle and cattle inoculated experimentally with the BSE agent.

PMID: 16632909

This study is free on-line.

http://www.nih.go.jp/JJID/59/100.pdf

It is extremely important to note that animals with NATURALLY occurring BSE verses EXPERIMENTALLY induced disease involving laboratory manipulation of tissue (homogenization, enzyme treatment and sonication) showed DIFFERENT results with respect to where malformed prions accumulated.

In the paper, the atypical BSE is said to show much more accumulation of malformed prions in the OLFACTORY area of the brain, as opposed to typical BSE which has a different pattern of distribution with highest concentrations in the medulla oblongata (obex) of the brain stem. This points to the differing methods of exposure to the "agent" (as you know in my opinion is metals/radionuclides) ie: inhalation verses ingestion.

Cattle, sheep and deer/elk are extremely prone to the inhalation of these toxins while they graze on the grass. Radon gas, for example, is 8 times heavier than regular air and hugs the ground while it drifts in the wind. Mine tailing piles and naturally occuring deposits of radionuclides emit these radioactive gases, another eg 210Pb. This is why uranium mine tailings and phosphorous mine tailings are kept in extremely large piles, so that the gases escape very slowly. If they were spread out over a large area, the toxic release of these gases would be clearly evident down-wind.

Kathy, does this hold true for shale piles after oil is extracted? If so, Alberta's oil boom may have unanticipated long term issues.
 

Econ101

Well-known member
Brad, it seems the fear of a possible $15 test is costing cattlemen $175.00.

The thing about Creekstone's deal is that you don't have to participate if you don't want to. The USDA should never have hindered Creekstone because of this fear. It is not their decision--it is the free market's decision. If it doesn't pay to do the test, it won't be done. If it does pay, it will. The test in no way deteriorates the tested product.
 

Kathy

Well-known member
Econo, (sorry for the length of the rant, but all these issues are interlinked).

I have some so far unconfirmed "concerns" about the emissions coming from the "Alberta Tar Sands Projects". This project is located near to the uranium deposits which have been mined in the past and future planned uranium mines. I have asked our government to sample the air there, and all over Alberta to establish what is our normal background radiation levels, and what are the emissions from the Tar Sands Project. Of course, I and the AB Surface Rights Federation - through which I made the request, have received no reply.

I bought shares in Suncor and Shell, so that I can attend their shareholder meetings. (you know how life goes, if you can't beat them, join them - keep your friends close and your enemies closer). Well, these sayings are just that sayings. The economy of Alberta is presently trapped (willingly) by the grasp of Oil and Gas - Tar Sands development, just as the USA economy is very much based on "wagging war" or "spreading freedom" depending on how you look at it.

I think about my children's future every day, and I am saddened by the lack of alternative paths available for earning a living. In Alberta most of the kids are either planning to go into some sort of job with the "patch" or take medical training, like nursing, to aid the "many" sick in our hospitals, etc. Not to say there are no alternatives, just to point out that the "planned" expansion of the Tar Sands to produce 5 fold what they are presently producing - leaves little room for job hungry (cash hungry) people and politicians, to think of anything else.

If I were Premier of Alberta, I would put a cap on the development where it stands now - NO EXPANSION. The oil will always be there and hopefully in the future we will have no use for it, as we will develop better more environmentally friendly sources for our energy (as well as consciously and rigorously restrainging from excessive use). [keep in mind that tanks, planes and vessels of war (for the most part, excluding nuclear subs and carriers) run on gas/diesel/aviation fuel. The last military with this valuable resource will have the advantage- maybe].

Nuclear power plants may not "directly" emit C02 (which is the "tabo poster pollutant for the climate change push), they do "directly" emit into the atmosphere radioactive pollution that is very toxic. I hope and pray that nuclear power will be abandoned - its development and waste create huge problems we cannot handle [they hide them better]. We can, however, sequester the emissions from carbon-based power to make them safer; and if a plane flies into a coal-power station verses a nuclear reactor, I know that there will be a way to clean up the mess and continue living in the region.

Chernobyl is surrounded by lands that may look livable - but they are not! google some of the videos on You-tube showing the towns surrounding Chernobyl just after the melt-down. The people look fine, but the radiation levels reached 7,000 times background. Guess what, they weren't fine. Radiation is an invisible killer. "Invisible War" is on video google, watch it (effects of DU weapons).

Wind power is being seriously curtailed in Alberta. This must change.

The proposed AltaLink power line corridor planned for central Alberta (AB) to take electricity from "Genesis coal plants" west of Edmonton (for now) to southern AB and then potentially on to the USA, has a planned corridor width of 6 miles and plans to use AC lines. This is a critical crisis for Albertans. If this planned "unnecessary" corridor is not stopped - then the "rights of expropriation (of land, (property and futures) by the government(s) is effectively granted to private corporations. IE: The AB government plans to build the power lines and then sell them to a private interest. The private interest COULD NOT build the lines themselves without the government's "expropriation rights" and permission. (at least not for cheap). So who is serving who?

C02 is not the problem but it is the most visible, by volume, emission. I am far more concerned about emissions of lead, mercury, cadmium, manganese -MMT, uranium, strontium, aluminum and other metals that our bodies become contaminated with. These metals and various other chemical emissions are what make us "sick" not CO2. eg.

Peters A, Veronesi B, Calderon-Garciduenas L, Gehr P, Chen LC, Geiser M, Reed W, Rothen-Rutishauser B, Schurch S, Schulz H.
Translocation and potential neurological effects of fine and ultrafine particles a critical update.
Part Fibre Toxicol. 2006 Sep 8;3:13.
PMID: 16961926

Fortoul TI, Osorio LS, Tovar AT, Salazar D, Castilla ME, Olaiz-Fernandez G.
Metals in lung tissue from autopsy cases in Mexico City residents: comparison of cases from the 1950s and the 1980s.
Environ Health Perspect. 1996 Jun;104(6):630-2.
PMID: 8793351 available free on-line.

This study below shows that even though the rats were exposed to "uranium", their kidneys showed accumulation of "iron" not directly associated (attached to) the uranium. So when an autopsy is done and the kidneys are examined, and high levels of iron are found, the report will say the victim was exposed to high levels of iron. Wrong! The victim was exposed to chronic levels of uranium which caused the accumulation of iron in the kidney because this is how the kidneys and the body reacted to the uranium exposure. Researchers need to be more aware of the bi-stander effects (cascade communications - downstream effects) of metal exposure.

Radiat Res. 2007 Apr;167(4):454-64. Links
Chronic exposure to uranium leads to iron accumulation in rat kidney cells.
Donnadieu-Claraz M, Bonnehorgne M, Dhieux B, Maubert C, Cheynet M, Paquet F, Gourmelon P.
Donnadieu-Claraz, M., Bonnehorgne, M., Dhieux, B., Maubert, C., Cheynet, M., Paquet, F. and Gourmelon, P. Chronic Exposure to Uranium Leads to Iron Accumulation in Rat Kidney Cells. Radiat. Res. 167, 454-464 (2007).After it is incorporated into the body, uranium accumulates in bone and kidney and is a nephrotoxin. Although acute or short-term uranium exposures are well documented, there is a lack of information about the effects of chronic exposure to low levels of uranium on both occupationally exposed people and the general public. The objective of this study was to identify the distribution and chemical form of uranium in kidneys of rats chronically exposed to uranium in drinking water (40 mg uranium liter(-1)). Rats were killed humanely 6, 9, 12 and 18 months after the beginning of exposure. Kidneys were dissected out and prepared for optical and electron microscope analysis and energy dispersive X-ray (XEDS) or electron energy loss spectrometry (EELS). Microscopic analysis showed that proximal tubule cells from contaminated rats had increased numbers of vesicles containing dense granular inclusions. These inclusions were composed of clusters of small granules and increased in number with the exposure duration. Using XEDS and EELS, these characteristic granules were identified as iron oxides. Uranium was found to be present as a trace element but was never associated with the iron granules. These results suggested that the mechanisms of iron homeostasis in kidney could be affected by chronic uranium exposure.

PMID: 17388691

It will be better for everyone, if we "question" and "debate" and "investigate" the lies and half-truths told about BSE/CWD/vCJD. Once Creekstone starts testing, if this actually ever happens, I predict that more cases of BSE will be found (both atypical and typical). If the public is not aware of the so-called alternative theories surrounding what causes BSE and vCJD, then the future for the cattle industry (animal meat industry) will be grim. Testing for uranium is not so simple, and requires special certified labs. By limiting the ability to test for BSE in labs designed for "highly infectious" agents, the researchers investigating BSE have been forced to work with yeast prion fragments and have limited, or NO ACCESS, to the naturally diseased tissue. The Japanese and others who have identified that naturally occurring BSE prion accumulations are different from "experimental" cases have exposed a huge problem surrounding the conclusions drawn from these "experimental transmissions".

The cattle industry must either investigate these problems, or face the consequences of a "mis-lead" and frightened public. Working with researchers experimenting with depleted uranium toxicity and OP toxicity (combined) could be very enlightening.
 
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