Also, NCBA members received this on Monday, June 13--TTB
Member eUpdate
June 13, 2005
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IN THIS ISSUE:
NCBA Continues to Address Concerns Regarding USDA's Announcement on BSE Retest
APHIS Fact Sheet
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A NCBA Membership Service
This electronic update is being sent to you by your staff at NCBA as a service to you through your membership in NCBA. Your support of NCBA is critical in providing the funding needed to work on all policy issues being faced by our industry. The work done on this issue would not be possible without your support-thank you for your dedication. Through your membership with NCBA, your voice can be heard on the issues that are shaping our industry's future. If you are not a member, we encourage you to get involved and today. Contact NCBA Member Services toll free at 1-866-BEEF-USA or
[email protected].
If you have any additional questions on these issues or any other NCBA policies, please don't hesitate to contact NCBA's Washington office at (202) 347-0228. You can also find the most up-to-date information, news stories, NCBA talking points, daily updates and statements on the current situation on our websites: www.beefusa.org and hill.beef.org.
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NCBA Continues to Address Concerns Regarding USDA's Announcement on BSE Retest
Based on Friday night's announcement concerning a retest of the November 2004 sample, NCBA staff is working on your behalf to get answers from USDA. Attached are fact sheets USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services circulated this weekend.
Currently, we believe consumers have not reacted negatively to this retest situation. U.S. beef consumers have every reason to be confident in the safety of the beef supply because of the progressive steps the industry and U.S. government have taken over the past 15 years.
This animal never entered the human food or animal feed supply.
USDA mandates removal from the food supply material that would most likely carry the BSE agent (such as spinal cord and brain).
We also have had a feed ban in place since 1997 that bans the feeding of ruminant derived-protein to cattle since the only way scientists believe BSE can be spread is through now-banned feeding practices.
It is important that we do all that we can to remind consumers of these measures that protect them and keep the beef supply safe.
That said, the uncertainty this situation creates in cattle markets must be minimized. We are calling on USDA to act with speed and accuracy to reach final resolution to this situation.
We will be seeking answers from USDA to many questions, including the following:
Why was the Western Blot test used 8 months after the initial negative test? Were procedures used to minimize the possibility of false positives? The industry believes this sample was enhanced to get a weak positive. Can you explain what you mean by enhanced or concentrated sample?
When you will you be sharing the protocol and time line for the Weybridge testing process?
When will the department confirm an established testing protocol so that our industry doesn't have to experience uncertainty?
What is the status of the enhanced surveillance program? And when will results be articulated to the public and to our trading partners ?
What impact is this having on our trading partners?
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APHIS Fact Sheet
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service June 2005 APHIS
June 2005 BSE Test Step by Step
Background: Since the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) enhanced surveillance program for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) began in June 2004, more than 375,000 animals from the targeted cattle population have been tested for BSE using a rapid test. Three of these animals tested inconclusive and were subsequently subjected to immunohistochemistry, or IHC, testing, in accordance with USDA protocol, which was developed to be consistent with international guidelines. The IHC is an internationally recognized confirmatory test for BSE. All three inconclusive samples tested negative using IHC.
June 5-10: During the week of June 5-11, 2005, USDA's Office of the Inspector General (OIG), which has been partnering with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), the Food Safety and Inspection Service, and the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) by impartially reviewing BSE-related activities, recommended that all three of these samples be subjected to a second internationally recognized confirmatory test, the OIE-recognized SAF immunoblot test, often referred to as the Western blot test. OIG recommended the additional testing because, originally, one of the samples had had a positive reaction to the rapid test, but it had a negative reaction to the IHC test. Although the IHC test is internationally recognized as a confirmatory test for BSE, OIG officials believed further testing was warranted on the three inconclusive samples.
June 10: On June 10, USDA received final results from the Western blot tests. Of the three samples, two were negative, but the third-the one that had previously had a strong reaction to the rapid test-came back positive on Western blot. Because of the conflicting results on the IHC and Western blot tests, a sample from the reactive animal will be sent to the OIE-recognized reference laboratory for BSE in Weybridge, England. USDA will also be conducting further testing. Results are expected within 2 weeks. This animal was a non-ambulatory (downer) animal and as such was banned from the food supply. It was processed at a facility that handles only animals unsuitable for human consumption, and the carcass was incinerated. APHIS retained part of its brainstem at the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, in case further testing or research was ever required.
Next Steps: Since only a limited amount of testable material remains, APHIS and ARS officials in Ames are currently developing a protocol for continued testing and analysis of the sample, They will consult with officials at the international reference laboratory in Weybridge, England, to determine which additional tests to perform in the United States, as well as the order in which to do them. They will also ensure that as much of the sample is preserved as necessary for confirmatory testing to be run at the international reference laboratory in Weybridge, England. By performing additional testing, USDA hopes to learn the true nature of this unusual case and determine if it is an atypical case of BSE, some noninfectious abnormal condition, or classical BSE.
Summary: The animal in question never entered the food or feed supply chain. Therefore, this additional testing, regardless of the eventual results, has no public or animal health implications. The results could, however, assist USDA in assessing current protocols and understanding the nature of the disease.
BSE Confirmatory Tests
Immunohistochemistry (IHC)
. Primary confirmatory test for USDA's BSE surveillance program.
. Recognized by the World Organization for Animal Health, or OIE.
. Allows scientists to determine if a sample is positive for BSE in two distinct ways: visually (spongiform changes), and through a staining technique (presence of abnormal prion protein).
. Involves looking at an intact portion of the brain, the obex, to see if there are lesions (holes or a "spongy" appearance) present that are characteristic for BSE, and using a staining process using antibodies that detect the abnormal protein prion.
. Takes four to seven days to run.
. Freezing samples does not interfere with performing the IHC test as long as the sample is confirmed as obex.
Western Blot
. Several types, with the SAF Immunoblot being the one recognized by OIE.
. Used under USDA protocol when a sample is "not suitable for IHC", i.e., if it is autolyzed (or degraded) or brain stem architecture is not evident microscopically.
. Uses a large portion of obex brain tissue; the abnormal prion protein in brain material is enriched by ultracentrifugation, and the sample is exposed to protease, an enzyme, to destroy any normal prion proteins that may be present, leaving only abnormal prion proteins. Remaining sample is then run through a gel to separate the abnormal prion protein components by molecular weight. After the transfer of the proteins to a membrane, proteins are stained using antibodies that can identify a specific banding pattern associated with prion diseases including BSE. A diagnosis is made by recognizing three distinctive bands that are identified as a result of a reaction with the anti-prion protein antibody.
. Freezing samples does not interfere with the performance of western blot tests.
Similarities/Differences:
. Both IHC and the SAF Immunblot (Western blot) are internationally recognized as confirmatory tests for BSE.
. The tests use different methods to determine if the abnormal prion protein is present in brain tissue of an animal.
. The IHC test additionally allows for the viewing of brain tissue to determine if lesions characteristic to BSE are present.
. Both tests are equally effective at detecting the classical form of BSE.BSE Confirmatory Tests
